The Legend of Zelda: The Bermuda Triangle
by Narutotoro
Summary: After leaning what really happened to her mother, Cleo goes on a new journey where she not only learns the secret to Earth's connection to Hyrule but also the secret within herself. Sequel to the Mysterious Travel Guide. K plus for some slight mild language and violence. 44 chapters plus prologue and epilogue total.
1. Prologue

Here it is finally, after months and months of writing for DeviantArt, the sequal is finally finished. HOORAY! Just like the last story, this one was entirely prewritten before being uploaded on fanfic dot net. I should warn you, it's a long one. 44 chapters, plus brief prologue and short epilogue. This is the sequal to the Mysterious Travel Guide. If you haven't read that yet, I would strongly suggest doing so before you read this fic. It'll be in my account page, just click on my username link. Of course, you don't have to if you don't wan't to, I'm just saying it would be nice.

Also, this too will have bonus chapters that tell you the easter eggs and other interesting trivia relating to this fic. I also suggest not reading them before reading the fanfic, for they _will_ contain spoilers to the story.

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days3) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

So here it is. I present to you, The Legend of Zelda: The Bermuda Triangle.

* * *

Prologue

_There is a tale... a tale of two worlds..._

_Bound by one simple shape... ...the Triangle._

_Once there was a time where two realms were closely connected through peace and prosperity._

_Nine portals existed... eight of them spread throughout the two worlds and watched over by ancient sages..._

_...and one great portal in the center._

_That great portal is called the Bermuda Triangle._

_Through trust and trade, the people traveled between them constantly and knew no distance, no disconnections... and no restrictions._

_But this freedom did not last long... for evil came._

_A great darkness had spread a corruptive influence upon the innocent people and poisoned their minds..._

_...and the two worlds started a war upon each other._

_The peaceful sages, unaffected by the darkness, knew that the only way to stop this war..._

_...was to close off the portals, and the two realms..._

_...forever._

_As eons passed, these worlds were slowly being forgotten by their neighbor..._

_...and their citizens lived on without knowledge of the other realm's existence._

_Then one day, a group of archeologists were on the verge of a great discovery._

_They traveled the world, digging through ancient city after ancient city._

_What they found out is the one thing all these places have in common... the one same shape etched on their walls._

_After realizing that many of these civilizations share a certain link they had yet to solve..._

_...their next journey to the Mayan temples lead them to an even deeper understanding._

_Careful studying in a hidden room they had discovered... uncovered something amazing._

_They soon believed in the possibility of traveling to another dimension._

_But despite their remarkable discovery..._

_...it was never made public._

_Shortly afterward, the archeologists had also uncovered something else..._

_...and it is perhaps the greatest secret of them all... which involves the fate of both worlds._

_When it was decoded... something happened to them..._

_...and that secret... remained hidden... until one day, after seven years have passed..._

_...one child... ...is to take part in the events that will take place..._

_...as was foretold._

* * *

For the sake of cliffhangers, I will be uploading each chapter every couple of days. Hope you enjoy it.


	2. Chapter 1

This is the sequal to the Mysterious Travel Guide. If you haven't read that yet, I would strongly suggest doing so before you read this fic. It'll be in my account page, just click on my username link. Of course, you don't have to if you don't wan't to, I'm just saying it would be nice.

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 1

_... ... ...Cleo... ...Cleo... the time is coming Cleo... ...time to awaken..._

A voice was calling to her, a voice she hadn't heard before... it sounded strange... sounded... alien...

_...It's time Cleo... ... you must awaken..._

Alien... except...

... ... "C'mon Cleo, time to wake up!"

Eyes opened to fill the mysterious dark void with blinding light and there was a groan. A young teen girl was finding herself in the familiar area of her room. The room had a very chic look. There was mosaic wallpaper with a matching mosaic carpet. There were a few potted plants sitting at a garden window. There was a mermaid statue that had been panted in blues and purples at a pottery store. A big retro stereo sat in a corner next to a shelf containing a music library, mostly bossa nova CDs. On the top shelves were a few gold and silver baseball trophies and Barbie dolls on stands wearing custom made clothing inspired by online dress up games.

The girl was lying in bed, wearing pajamas patterned with a silky bloom. She had long blond hair with side sweep bangs and blue gray eyes. She looked over to the clock on a side desk, it read 7:30. She felt movement on the bed and looked over to see her gray, orange eyed cat walking towards her to rub itself on her face. It meowed.

"Hey, Faron," she said, yawning and scratching the cat's ears while it purred.

Her father, a man with brown hair, graying in places, and eyes the same as his daughter, walked in. "So, you're awake, finally. It's time to get up, you don't want to be late for school."

"Yeah, I know dad," Cleo replied tiredly. Her eyes were still droopy, threatening to close again.

Her father put his hands to his hips. "Just because you're fourteen years old, doesn't mean you can sleep in. So don't make me drag you outta bed by your ankles." Watching Cleo sit up and stretch, he added "I'm making omelets this morning, just the way you like 'em. They're going to be done in a minute, so be sure you're fully up by that time." Then he left the room.

Faron started kneading Cleo's lap. "No Faron, you're not getting any," she said, softly chuckling. She got out of bed, changed and left the room, carrying her cat.

She walked through the hallway and living room to the kitchen. The house was adorned with tinsel, holly, and a tree standing next to the tv, for the holidays. Dad had hung up a few more ornaments overnight. Cleo put Faron down on the floor so she could feed her.

Then she sat at the table when her dad asked "So, about our upcoming Christmas vacation. Do you want to meet your brother, somewhere?"

"I skyped Finn last night, he said he wants to visit us on Christmas Eve," she responded. "He has one more college term to go through before he's home free."

"Well then, what do you think we should do?"

"I don't know."

Her dad looked at her weirdly. "What kind of answer is that?"

"Well..." In all honesty, she wanted to spend her vacation in a place her father didn't know existed. In secret, Cleo and Finn had been visiting the realm of Hyrule, ever since they discovered it through a mysterious travel guide they had found underneath their basement floor. They were the first people on Earth to set foot there and spent their first trip trying to stop the evil King Ganondorf from gaining the Majora's Mask, the most dangerous artifact in existence. Cleo had befriended the Hero of Hyrule, a Gerudo warrior, both the Hylian and Twilight Princesses, and a skull kid who was her closest friend.

"What is it?" Her father snapped her out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry... It's just that... I kept having this weird dream. I heard a strange voice calling out to me... telling me to awaken. I don't know why though."

"Most dreams mean nothing, normally. But on occasion, certain dreams have some meaning behind them. It just takes time to understand them." Her dad finished cooking breakfast and brought it over. "Here it is, an omelet with bits of snake meat and grubs," he said, grinning. Of course, it wasn't _really_ what he described. The omelet had bacon bits and pieces of broccoli.

Cleo frowned disapprovingly at his joke. "Why do you do that? You're always trying to gross me out."

"Yep, that's what I do best!"

"You might be willing to eat snakes and such, but I'm not."

"Well then, what if you're lost in the wilderness and there's nothing out there but slithery things? How will you get food then?"

Cleo didn't answer. She just started eating her omelet in silence, trying not to think of her dad's rather disgusting ideas.

* * *

Cleo was in the girls locker room, changing into her gym clothes and sneakers. One of her school friends, was next to her. "So how is it going in geography class? Are you doing well with the cartography test?"

"Yeah, I am, Beth" she answered while tying her hair into a ponytail. "Although it's gonna be a bit tough dotting and labeling the important places on the right spots after drawing the continents."

"I don't think I'm doing so well with the Caribbean islands. Small island placement always throws me off."

"Well maybe after class, I can take a look at your map and help you out."

"Thanks, Cleo."

After their short conversation, Cleo and Beth went to the gym where they joined three more of their friends, Joelle, Amy, and Meg. A shrill whistle sounded to get their attention. "All right, line up everyone! Come on, keep moving!" Coach Watai, a Japanese athlete, called out. "As always, we start off with warm up stretches and exercises. So all of you, go down on the floor, remember your positions."

Cleo and everyone else sat down to do their warm up. "Hey Queen Cleopatra." She groaned. Typical that she'd end up right next to the one guy she wanted nothing to do with.

"What do you want Joseph?" she asked irritably, turning to a boy around her age, with ruffled, oddly argent colored hair tied in a low ponytail. His sea green eyes looked back at her with a smirk. "Can't you see I'm busy right now."

"Oops, _sorry_. Didn't mean to butt in," he said rudely. "I forgot that the Egyptian queen still thinks she's too good for the cool guys."

"Would you stop _calling_ me that," Cleo hissed. Again, he was getting on her bad side without even trying. Joseph wasn't exactly a school bully, but he _was_ on top of the food chain and was determined to protect his status before anyone could bring him back down. And right now, he felt threatened by her for beating him at baseball games and for being able to catch up with him in gym.

"You can keep thinking that you're the best at everything, but you're still a girl."

"And you can keep thinking that girls shouldn't play baseball, but I'm still gonna keep playing."

"Hey!" Coach Watai interrupted, pointing at them. "No talking you two!" When they went silent, he started his speech. "Now, I am thinking that today we do something a little different. If you just follow me outside!" Everyone got up and went out into the cold frosty air. Out in the field was a long obstacle course. "We are going to try our abilities out on this course. This is to test your agility, your stamina, and your potential."

"I thought this is P.E., not Ninja Warriors," Joseph said smartly.

Cleo nudged him a little roughly. "_Shut up_."

"There will only be four at a time. I am going to pick the best students first to go through the course. First will be Joseph Newborn!"

"Well obviously," he responded, smugly.

"My son, Eiji Watai."

"Okay, otosan!" an Asian boy answered brightly.

"Megara Netor."

Meg just stood there, chewing gum and blowing a bubble.

"And Cleo Hayster!"

Joseph gave Cleo a sideways glare and she returned it. They were staring at each other so intently that it would have been no surprise if sparks started flying.

"You better stay out of my way!" Joseph warned.

"Why, so you can show off again or try to humiliate me?" she retaliated.

"I'm going to be the one to reach that end first!"

"And what makes you so sure?"

"'Cuz I've got an ace up my sleeve."

Before Cleo could ask what that ace was, Coach Watai blew the whistle again to start the course run. They immediately went to the ramp and sprinted upward, Cleo however slipped and slid back down. She looked down at her feet, seeing that she had stepped on a card, and then up at Joseph who reached the top already and was looking back with a mischievous grin. "I saw that, you cheater!" she shouted at him.

She ran back up the slope, using almost all of her stamina, and was forced to stop and catch her breath. She glanced at the card she was holding, it was an ace of diamonds. Should have known he'd literary have an 'ace up his sleeve' she thought angrily. Her eyes focused on the little red diamond for only a second... and everything suddenly went blurry.

_Everything was a green blur... she heard muffled voices and sounds... and screaming. The screaming stopped when, in the very center of her view where it was a little more clear, she saw someone... strange...? A tall pale figure stood in the distance, half hidden in shadow before... it vanished into thin air._

The vision ended as quickly as it came. Cleo shook herself. _What _was_ that?_ she thought. Then she remembered the race and took off.

Cleo hopped across suspended platforms, each one lower to the ground, and jumped off. She stooped down to crawl through a small tunnel and came out the other side. She pushed a block to a wall with a rope net just out of reach. That part was when she caught up with the others, for they were a bit slower on using the blocks to reach the net and Joseph scowled at her when she figured it out so quickly. She climbed up to the top where she must swing from rope to rope. Then the last obstacle was a tightrope where both she and Joseph walked along carefully, neck and neck, while the other two were getting across with their hands.

Joseph tried to knock Cleo off, but she reacted with a counter that had him hanging by one hand. By the time, he could get back on his feet, she reached the slide and flew right down to the mat.

Coach Watai blew his whistle again. "Cleo Hayster wins!"


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

The poem in this chapter also rightfully belongs to marvin brato Sr of Poem Hunter.

* * *

Chapter 2

Everybody started clapping and whooping. Joseph slid down looking sour. "Don't let this victory go to your head!" he scowled. "I will beat you yet Cleo!"

"C'mon Joseph, it's just an exercise run," Cleo said, rolling her eyes. "I think it's you who are letting things go to _your_ head."

"Yeah, whatever!" Then Joseph stormed off.

"Yo Cleo!" Someone called out. Cleo looked around. "Up here!" It was Meg sitting on the edge of the platform. "You did pretty sweet. Your talent was so choice."

"Thanks Meg!" Cleo called back.

"Didn't you say that your mom was an athlete herself? That could be where you got your skills."

"Yeah, my dad told me that. I don't remember everything about her." It was an honest truth. Cleo was only seven when she lost her, she had once put herself in danger without knowing and her mother died to save her. For the following three years, she had blamed herself for the tragic event until her first fateful trip into Hyrule had taught her that it was never her fault, that it was nothing more then an accident.

"So where are you rolling on up this coming vacation?" Meg asked.

"Don't know, I'm thinking about it though."

"I hear that Joseph's taking off to Mexico."

"Then I'll go somewhere that isn't Mexico," Cleo said with a huff.

"It's too bad he's such a jerk, 'Cuz I'll admit he's kinda cute."

"Yeah well, obnoxious pigheadedness doesn't interest me." And they said no more of that.

* * *

"Hey dad, I'm home!" Cleo called out as she walked in the door. There was no answer, so she walked over to the kitchen to look at the fridge. There was a note hanging on a magnet. "I'm working late again, urgent call from the sheriff's dispatch. Help yourself to some leftover steak later. (or snake meat, whichever you prefer ^_^)" it said with a drawn smiley face. Cleo rolled her eyes at this, then she noticed a P.S. "BTW, a package arrived from Finn. It's on the counter."

Of course, Cleo thought. She had forgotten about the game Finn said he would send her once he was done with it. Cleo looked at the counter and saw a brown box. She cut it open and found another note. "Sorry it took so long to finish it, it's your turn now. An early Christmas present from me. Finn."

Cleo looked in the box and pulled out Skyward Sword with it's booklet. Feeling excited, she set them next to the Nintendo Wii and did her homework as quickly as possible. It had been over a year since the game was released in the US and she hadn't had a chance to play yet. She avoided any websites that contained any information about Skyward Sword, not wanting the game to be spoiled by it. She didn't even know anything about the main villain yet, but she would soon find out.

All evening, Cleo played through the beginning, enjoying the new cool stuff that had been added in the series (and laughing at Faron for trying to catch the Wii curser on the screen). Right before her first dungeon, she took a break with her dinner of microwaved steak and what was left of the omelets. Then she went through the dungeon pretty fast (the puzzles weren't that hard to figure out) and she entered the boss' room where she saw, what could possibly be, the most bizarre villain she had ever encountered. He called himself Lord Ghirahim.

For some strange reason, he seemed... familiar. Cleo felt like she had seen him before. During the cutscene, when Ghirahim gave a literal tongue lashing, the same vision she'd had earlier flashed in front of her eyes, but it only lasted a split second. She shook her head and started the fight. But Cleo didn't land a single blow before it happened again, when she accidentally zoomed in to first person view and got another good look at him, it came right back with full force...

_Everything was a green blur... but it wasn't as thick as before... she heard muffled voices and sounds... and screaming... of anguish and sorrow. The screaming stopped when, in the very center of her view where it was a little more clear, she saw someone... strange...? A tall pale figure with a red cape stood in the distance, half hidden in shadow before... it vanished into thin air... in a spatter of diamonds._

Cleo pulled herself out of the vision and saw her character on his last heart. He was being pummeled during her brain spasm. Before she could react, Link was already dead.

She just sat there, staring at the Game Over screen in slight shock. Cleo was speechless at what had happened. Why is she getting these...? Wait, she thought, suddenly overcome with a sense of Deja Vu. Are they... a memory...? She buried her eyes in her hands as though to try to picture Ghirahim better and hopefully summon the vision again, although it didn't. After contemplating what she saw for a minute, she finally came to a conclusion:

_Ghirahim,_ she thought. _I've seen him before... I saw him for _real_! It _was_ a memory!_ But where had Cleo seen him, and when? No matter how hard she tried, however, she couldn't recall the encounter any better. She needed help unlocking that long forgotten memory... and she knew just who to turn to.

Cleo got up and headed for the basement. She went down the stairs, two at a time, and started to stomp across the stone tiles until she could hear the familiar loud clap that indicated a hollow space beneath the floor. She removed the tile that made that particular sound and took the gossip stone from it's hiding place.

She held the stone to her lips. "Zelda... Zelda, can you hear me?... I need to talk to you." There was no answer. Cleo kept trying to make contact for a few minutes before she finally received a response.

"Cleo? Is that you?" said a benign voice in worry. When Cleo confirmed, Zelda continued. "What's wrong? You sound anxious."

"Zelda, when can we meet? It's urgent."

"Urgent?" Zelda repeated with concern. There was a pause as though she was thinking about it. During the pause, Cleo heard a door open and close and another voice.

"I'm back Cleo!" her father called.

"I believe we can. But this is short notice Cleo. Are you sure about it?"

"Yes Zel, I'm sure."

"Cleo, where are you?" the voice of her father interrupted.

"Coming dad!" she called back. "Sorry about that. I'm gonna have to sneak out later."

"All right. Meet me at Telma-"

"Are you in the basement Cleo?"

"Dad, just a minute!" she called irritably.

"Young lady, what are you doing down there?"

She quickly turned back to the gossip stone. "Okay, you said Telma's Bar right?" she asked in a hurry. When Zelda said "yes", Cleo replied "Got it" and threw the stone back in the hole and closed the tile just as the basement door opened and light flooded in. Cleo got up and started up the stairs.

"Just what are you up to?" her dad said, a little sternly.

"I was just checking the electric furnace. The place was getting cold."

"I thought I heard another voice. Is there someone here?" he asked looking over her shoulder.

"Oh uh... I was talking on my cellphone," she quickly said. "Talking to tech support about the furnace."

"Cleo, you know you shouldn't be messing with those kind of things. Especially when you're here by yourself," he scolded.

She sighed. "Look, I'm a little tired. Can I please go to bed?" Her dad said she could and she walked off towards her room, with Faron at her heels.

* * *

It was late at night, Cleo bundled up and quietly opened her bedroom door, trying not to cause a creak. She snuck past her father's bedroom where she could see him snoring away. She felt her way to the basement and tried to tap the floor without doing it too loudly so it wouldn't wake him up. Then she took the travel guide and went back up and to the back door, carefully opening and closing it.

It was freezing out and her feet crunched the frosty grass, a little bit loudly. She hoped her dad wouldn't hear that coming from outside. She slowly walked to the woodland edge and then ran in. Without using the flashlight (It was too risky then), Cleo ran blindly through the forest and stumbled once or twice. She thought someone was there when she saw a pair of glowing eyes, but it was merely a fox who took off upon seeing her. Her heart was hammering, and her steamy breath was heavy, it was spooky here. Cleo heard an owl calling and saw it's silhouette (once her eyes had adjusted to the darkness) soar over to a clearing.

She followed it and found some dirt. She now used the flashlight to look at the book for the spell circle and incantation, although the soil was frozen hard so it was difficult to trace anything on it. After a frustrating half-hour, she managed to draw a spell circle.

Then she recited the spell,

_"In everything that exists_  
_a doorway is always present_  
_it may lead in or lead out the way_  
_to and from any destination we go."_

Cleo jumped at a noise she heard. But it was only a lone doe that caused it. _Why am I freaking out?_ she thought. _Seriously Cleo, you're being paranoid._ She continued.

_"Entering a new phase_  
_may meant betterment_  
_and going out from there_  
_is a choice for one to decide._  
_A portal is sort of conscience_  
_that shows the consequences_  
_if one dares proceed with wit_  
_then must take the right step."_

After a moment, a strange glow enveloped her and she vanished from this realm.

* * *

It was snowing in Hyrule when Cleo went to the Castle Town and entered Telma's Bar. "Well hello there Cleo," Telma welcomed. "What brings you here?"

"Is Zelda here?" Cleo asked upon entering.

"Sorry hon, she's _not_."

"What? I don't understand," she said confusedly.

"I have another customer, however, who's expecting you. And he's a _Sheikah_," answered Telma with a wink.

Cleo looked over at a table with the said Sheikah sitting there and she smiled. It was Sheik.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 3

She was sure he smiled back behind the cloth wrapped around his mouth as she took her own seat. "Fancy meeting you here. I suppose Zelda sent you?"

"Indeed," Sheik answered. Of course Cleo knew full well that both Zelda and Sheik were the same person, she just liked to pretend that they weren't.

Telma came over to them. "So what can I get you two?"

"The usual," they both said at once. When she left, Sheik asked "Now what is the reason for this meeting."

"Well..." Cleo thought for a moment. "It's a bit complicated. I don't know where to start, I don't even know if you..." she trailed off.

"If what?"

"...Tell me, does the name Ghirahim ring a bell?"

"Ghirahim?" He thought a minute. "No, I'm afraid it doesn't. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's like this..." Cleo told Sheik everything about the vision that turned out to be a lost memory and she described every detail of both the person and whatever else she'd seen. Sheik was now deep in thought as he momentarily pulled down his cloth to sip his tea. His expression was a little bit serious and concerned, as though not liking what he was hearing. "So you see," she continued. "That's why I turned to you, because you're the only one I know who can unlock that memory. I need to know where I saw him."

There was a moment of silence from Sheik, his expression didn't change. Over three years ago, Zelda had looked into Cleo's memory in order to save her from Majora who was possessing her at that time. And what she saw in that memory was more then just a tragic scene that claimed a mother's life, more than what Cleo knew.

Sheik finally spoke. "Cleo, are you absolutely _sure_ you should be seeing this?"

She looked at him confusedly. "What do you mean _should_?" He didn't answer, he started to look guilty as though he let something slip, something secret. And she could tell. "Sheik, _what_ are you not telling me?" she asked firmly, starting to sound scared.

Sheik looked at her and both his eyes and his voice where saddened. "You're not going to like what you see." He held his hand up. "Close your eyes and clear your mind." Cleo did as ordered and he placed two of his fingers on her forehead, the Triforce of Wisdom became visible and glowed briefly and she was suddenly pulled into whiteness.

_Everything was a green view... of a lively park... she heard the voices of happy, laughing people and the sounds of cars going by and birds chirping. She spotted a butterfly... with a beautiful diamond pattern and she gave chase. It flew to a road and... it suddenly disappeared. A truck was coming rapidly and a woman called out her name... It was over in an instant. The woman lay dead and there was screaming... of anguish and sorrow... and grief. The screaming stopped when, in the very center of her view, she saw someone... strange...? A tall pale figure with a red cape... and dark, dark eyes... stood in the distance, half hidden in shadow before... it vanished into thin air... in a spatter of diamonds... and a drawling laugh._

Cleo was pulled back into reality as instantly as she was pulled into the memory. She gasped out sharply and roughly fell to the floor, taking the chair with her and nearly spilling her milk. "Cleo, are you alright?!" Telma called out to her. Cleo was trembling, her eyes wide with trauma, and it seemed that she'd been crying during her trance for her face was wet with tears.

She couldn't... understand it. Could it be true? Had Ghirahim been present the day her mother died? "He..." Cleo choked. "He was there... I saw him... on the... the..." She didn't finish, she couldn't bear to. She got up shakily. "The reason I forgot... was because I only saw him for a second." Her trembling fear slowly turned to anger. "What was he doing there?" Cleo turned to the table and slammed her fists on it. This time the glass of milk tipped over and the whole contents went all over the table and onto the floor. "It couldn't have been a coincidence!"

"Young lady, there are customers here!" Telma exclaimed. Indeed, some late nighters were beginning to stare at Cleo, one vagabond in dark purple robes and red eyes started scowling. Telma went over to clean up the mess, her Persian was already at the spilled milk, lapping.

Cleo seemed to have awoken to her surroundings and, head shaking, she marched out the door. Sheik immediately followed. "Cleo, wait!" he called out to her once they were outside. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she spun round so fast, that he was a bit taken aback by it.

Cleo stared at Sheik as though she were seeing him for the first time, her eyes red-rimmed and incredulous. "That was Ghirahim!" Her voice was cracked and low. "Didn't you wonder why such a strange person was at the scene of my mother's accident?"

Sheik was silent for what seemed almost an eternity. Finally he spoke. "Yes, I thought it was unusual, but I was trying to help you heal, to save your life. I put it aside for the time being. Then when I thought about it later..."

"Later!" Cleo yelled. "Why didn't you tell me about it then?"

"You had just recovered!" he defended. "You stopped blaming yourself for the loss and got true happiness back. I honestly didn't know what it meant."

"What do you think it means?" Cleo demanded. "It means that an extremely evil sick villain from Hyrule had something to do with my mother's death."

"Cleo, I know what's going through your head! You're thinking of revenge, but I am telling you that it's not the right path! It is like Majora's poison all over again!"

"Sheik, he _killed_ my mom and I have to know why! I _have_ to avenge her! You of all people should understand that, but apparently, you don't! Nothing you say can stop me!" Then Cleo began to walk off, but didn't go more than ten feet before she decided to apologize for yelling and turned around only to see that he was no longer there. Now she started feeling guilty, she knew better than to shout at the princess of Hyrule, but she couldn't help it, Zelda had kept important information about how her mother had died from her.

Noting to herself to apologize to Zelda next time she saw her, Cleo headed back home.

* * *

_... ... ...Cleo... ...Cleo... the time is coming Cleo... ...time to awaken..._

A voice was calling to her, a voice she hadn't heard before... it sounded strange... sounded... alien...

_...It's time Cleo... ... you must awaken..._

Alien... except... ... ...Then suddenly, the sound of terrible drawling laughter interrupted the mysterious message.

Cleo found herself in her room and it was dark. She heard the laughing coming from outside the door, she slowly opened it with a shaking hand. She walked down the hallway at a snail's pace as the dreaded laughter continued and got stronger. She turned a corner and... the whole room was completely ruined. The furniture was slashed to pieces, the Christmas decorations were torn apart, the tree tipped over, it's ornaments smashed, and the walls... were covered in sinister red stains. These stains seemed to form before her eyes into what appeared to be diamond shapes. Cleo heard panicked screams coming from outside. She ran to the backdoor which magically led into a dark dungeon room instead of her backyard... and what she saw was agonizing. It was her mother lying on a stone plinth, covered in a white sheet. Cleo rushed to her but, as she approached, shadowy shapes formed and engulfed her mom. Cleo screamed out and tried to chase the shadows off, but when they cleared, her mother was gone. Then she looked around her and realized that all of her family and friends were there, her father, Finn, Link, Syrilla, Midna, Zelda, SK, and even some of her school friends were there. They were chained, suspended from the wall and still... but alive... breathing. Then the shadows appeared again and slithered eerily toward them all. Cleo tried to move, but realized she couldn't. The floor turned to mud and she sunk up to her knees before it solidified again. She couldn't free herself, she couldn't do anything except watch helplessly as all of her loved ones were slowly devoured and hear their screams of torturous terror and soon, they too were all gone. She called out their names, she cried and sobbed for them to come back... then she saw him again... Ghirahim... who took away everything Cleo held dear... laughing at her grief. Then she started sinking again, much faster this time. The quicksand-like floor reached up to her neck when his white lips started moving, but she didn't hear anything as though she were deaf. She could see those lips forming words, like "May you be consumed by death, I..." "I" what? Cleo didn't see what else he might have said for her head had completely gone under. She couldn't see, she couldn't breathe, it's like she didn't have a mouth and she must scream...

This time, she did gasp out a scream... Cleo was breathing hard and found herself back in her room, in her own bed. It was a only a nightmare. Faron was at her side, mewing softly and pawing at her. She held her gently, feeling shaken. She looked out the window... and thought she saw an owl in the trees, but nothing was there. Perhaps it was just part of her imagination.

* * *

"Are you okay sweetheart? You don't look so good," Cleo's father said, concerned, as he gave her a homemade breakfast sandwich. Indeed, she _did_ look tired and down.

"I'm fine dad," she answered gloomily as she took the sandwich and started eating. Although her stomach was too cramped up to eat much without hurting.

"Look if you're feeling a bit sick, then maybe you should skip school today."

"Today's Friday. I might as well get it over with." Cleo desperately needed to do _some_thing to get her mind off her torment and staying at home to play more of Skyward Sword with its probably murderous villain was out of the question.

"Cleo, I know there's something troubling you. You can tell me."

Honestly, she _wanted_ to tell him the truth of what really happened to her mother, let him know that his wife was murdered. But how could she? He didn't even know her secret connection to Hyrule and she didn't know how to reveal all that. Right then all she could say was "...It's nothing."


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

The four school girls are also mine.

* * *

Chapter 4

Cleo had been half distracted throughout school and was scolded twice for that by her teachers, making her even crankier. It was a good thing she did her homework ahead of time, otherwise she would've had bad grades. Both she and Beth managed an A in their cartography test and, as a bonus, got to keep their drawn map. During the middle period, she was at the lockers when Amy came along.

"Hey Cleo, I've noticed that you've been down in the dumps lately. Is there something the matter?"

"Hm?..." She'd just noticed her. "...Oh I... I'm sorry, It's just..."

"Tell me, is this a private matter?"

"I'm afraid it is, sorry."

"That's okay girlfriend, I totally understand if you don't wanna talk about it. I think I have something that might cheer you up!" Cleo highly doubted that anything could cheer her up right now, but she _did_ become curious about it. "I've finally finished the elf costume for the Christmas pageant. I wanted to show you."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about it. Where is it?"

"It's in my backpack. Here." Amy started to reach in when they heard a loud slam of a locker door from around a corner.

"Damn it Joelle! Get out of my way!" It was Joseph and he wasn't in a good mood.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Joseph. I didn't mean-"

"'Sorry' isn't good enough! You're just lucky that you're not the one who beat me yesterday in gym! But since you're friends with Cleo, I will not tolerate you or any of your friends bumping into me! Consider this a fair warning!"

"I-know, I-I _am_ sorry." Cleo went around the corner to see poor Joelle totally distraught. She had always been timid, to the point of being a bit overemotional and Cleo could clearly see her on the verge of tears.

Feeling a new anger surge through her which almost completely drove out her recent grief, she marched toward them. "Leave her ALONE!"

Joseph turned around and looked into Cleo's furious face without backing down. "So Queen Cleopatra-"

"Don't Queen Cleopatra me! I will _not_ let you bully Joelle! She hasn't done _anything_ to you!"

"Irrelevant," He said imperiously. "Tell you what, I'll stop bothering your friends _if_ you admit you _like_ me."

"Fat chance!" Cleo spat.

Meg tried to step in. "Whoa there Cleo, don't bust a vein now!"

Cleo didn't seem to hear her, however. "If you think I would fall for a jerk like you, you're crazy!"

Joseph smiled a sly smile. "You know you're cute when you're mad. If you think you're so tough, then how about a duel. Right outside. After school. You know how to use a sword?"

"You bet I do! I'm ready for you!"

"Don't keep me waiting." Then Joseph walked away.

"Are you brain dead or something? He could kill you!" Meg warned. "I hear he's really good with a sword."

"Yeah well, so am I."

"Cleo," Joelle spoke up. Cleo turned to her and her expression softened. "Um... thanks for standing up for me."

"It's the least I could do."

"You don't have to fight him, you know."

"I have to, someone has to teach that guy he's not king of the world."

* * *

After the bell rang to end the school day, Cleo grabbed her backpack and a wooden sword and shield from her locker. She followed the crowd to the front door. Outside, some of the students went to the buses while others got on their bikes or in their cars. Only one student besides herself was staying in one place. Joseph was leaning against the flagpole, wearing a black jacket with it's zipper halfway down. He was looking at Cleo expectantly with a smirk and holding what appeared to be a wooden katana.

"You ready Cleopatra?"

Cleo didn't answer, she just brought out her sword and shield. It had been awhile since she'd used them. She needed to stay in practice and kicking Joseph's butt would definitely be good practice. Her friends stood by to watch with bated breath. _Okay Cleo, remember the basic moves,_ she thought.

"You know, it's not too late to back out like a girl should. I wouldn't want you to get _hurt_," Joseph said mockingly.

"You wish." _Okay, first move: the slice,_ she formed in her head.

He got his katana ready. "The first one who falls loses. Ladies first?" Cleo charged forward and swiped her sword at him. He dodged her easily. "So you _do_ know how to fight! Now it's my turn!" He thrust at her. Cleo leapt aside while still focusing on her opponent.

_Now, the stab._ Cleo made her own thrust immediately after she leapt and managed a hit in his side. Her friends started clapping. Scowling, Joseph swiped at her. She rolled to the left.

_Next is the jump attack._ Cleo leapt at Joseph but he managed to parry her. "I'll admit, you're not half-bad," he said grudgingly while they struggled. "But it's not good enough!" He managed to shove her back and, finding an opening, struck her. She almost fell, but regained her balance. Joelle let out a frightened gasp. Thinking quickly, Cleo came up with a move that Joseph wouldn't predict.

_And last but not least: the spin attack._ Joseph started his own jump attack to finish her off when Cleo did an amazing backflip and then, made a quick spin with her sword. It struck Joseph hard and he was knocked off his feet. Her friends whooped and cheered.

"That was _so_ totally unreal!" Amy called out. "You, like, really showed that douchebag who's boss!"

"Thanks Amy," Cleo said, blushing. "Hey, aren't you going to show me that costume?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Silly me!" Amy finally pulled out her crafted elf costume and showed it to Cleo. "I think you totally deserve this. Here, take it." She gave her the outfit.

"So you've got some sissy clothes, big deal!" Joseph said angrily, walking over to her.

"Joseph, butt out, will ya? I've beat you fair and square, you're just being a big baby!" Cleo snapped back. "I'm going home. Why don't you go cry to your mommy." Cleo began to walk away.

"At least I _have_ a mom to cry to." Cleo stopped dead. "You heard me! You know, I _do_ feel sorry for you. Did she abandon you? Is that why you pretend you don't remember stuff about her? I bet she-" WHAM! Cleo gave Joseph a good swift punch in his face and then she flung herself at him in total blind anger.

"MY MOM DIDN'T ABANDONED ME! YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW!" Cleo was determined to pummel every bit of Joseph while he tried to shield himself with his arms, feeling really shocked. "MY MOTHER IS DEAD! SHE WAS MURDERED!"

Cleo was pulled back by rough hands, it was Coach Watai. "Cleo, that is enough!" Cleo started sniffling, breathing hard, tears forming in her eyes. "Come on, principal's office!" She didn't protest, she just let herself get dragged back into the school in silence.

Joseph got up, his lip bleeding and looked at Cleo's departing back. "Dude, that wasn't cool," he heard Meg say. "Why'd you say such a terrible thing for?"

He wiped the blood off with his sleeve. "I only assumed..." He didn't finish, he was too busy thinking about what Cleo had said. _I can tell that she's in trouble,_ he added to himself. _Which has got nothing to do with being sent to the principal's office._

* * *

Cleo was sitting quietly in the passenger seat while her dad drove her home. He had picked her up at the office after talking with the principal and the coach earlier. While on the way, he broke the silence. "Now Cleo, I know you're under a lot of stress lately, so don't try to pretend otherwise anymore. I'm not mad at you or anything but I don't approve of you getting into fights."

"I know dad," she said, dismally. Although she wished he _was_ mad at her, she couldn't help but be mad at herself. Despite the terrible things Joseph said, she knew what she did was wrong.

"Maybe we should start our vacation early. Get away for awhile, try to recuperate. Don't you have that world map you drew? We can take a look at it." He stopped on the shoulder. "So let's see it." Cleo brought out a few papers containing each continent until she got the North American map unfolded. "Okay, we're in Kentucky, that's on the right side of the country. Why don't you pick a place there."

"On the right side? Um..." Cleo thought for a moment. Her eyes started darting up and down and the moment they landed on one particular place, she came to a conclusion. "Miami."

"Miami? Are you sure?" her father asked.

"Yeah... I'm not sure why, but I've got a good feeling about Miami."

"Hmm, that's in Florida. Good choice, we could use some warmth. Okay, as soon as we reach home, we'll start packing. Okay?"

Cleo smiled for the first time. "Okay."

* * *

Cleo had to get up very early in the morning (around 5:30 AM), so she could get ready for the long trip to Florida. She took a shower and packed all her essentials the night before. She got her clothes, maps, compass, cellphone, swimsuits, a beach ball, and (just in case) sword and shield she once gained from Hyrule. She brushed her teeth and her hair. After checking everything was accounted for twice and saying good-bye to Faron, leaving her in the care of the lady next door, she joined her father with her stuff in the car.

It took them all day to get to Miami, having to stop for breakfast, lunch and gas. On one occasion, she thought she saw an owl again and started wondering if she was seeing things. By the time they reached their destination, it was after sundown. They stopped at a beachside hotel and Cleo could hear the ocean even though it was too dark to see that far. She waited in the car while her dad got them a room (331). She could see inside the lobby through a large window and noticed someone sitting luxuriantly on a couch. She could only see the back of him, but for some strange reason, there was something about that guy she didn't like at all. But she couldn't quite put her finger on why she was getting bad vibes from him.

Then her father came back. "Alright, let's grab our stuff." They went though the lobby, into an elevator. Cleo tried to look at the strange guy again, but he was obscured by a passing guest with a large wheeled trunk, who paused for a moment, and by the time she could get a good look again, the sliding doors had already closed. "You okay? You looked dazed," her father asked.

"It's nothing." Although she couldn't shake the funny feeling she was having. They reached their room and started unpacking. "I'll go get the rest of the stuff," Cleo said. She went all the way back to the car and grabbed her backpack. She noticed that she had accidentally brought along the elf costume but shrugged it off. She was passing the lobby again when she heard a woman's voice say "Your room will be 231 Mr... what was it? Gearaheem?" Cleo... froze.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 5

"Thank you most kindly, my dear," said a sinisterly smooth and drawling voice. Cleo slowly turned toward the source of that voice and saw the person that had ruined her life. Even though he looked more like a human being (and wearing a fancy Vegas style suit), there was no mistaking him. Ghirahim...

After taking a card key, he turned and noticed Cleo, possibly for the first time. At first, Ghirahim didn't seem to recognize her and stared in mild curiosity while she just stared back with the fearful shock of running into him here, of all places. What was he doing here anyway? After a long, intense staring contest, his eyes suddenly lit up as he realized who he was actually seeing and he smiled deviously at finally remembering the girl whose mother he'd killed.

Upon seeing that smile, all the rage Cleo had toward Ghirahim began to return. Her stare hardened, teeth clenched, hand clutching into a shaking fist. How dare he smile at her after what he'd done!

Completely ignoring Cleo's dramatic change in attitude, he walked right past her and into the elevator. She didn't take her eyes off him and even kept staring long after his smirking face disappeared behind the sliding doors.

* * *

Cleo's father slept tightly. But Cleo herself didn't sleep, she was too busy preparing for the confrontation. She made the decision when she looked at the costume again. Certain parts of it had reminded her of someone she knew from Hyrule. And without really thinking much of it, she had put on the green hat and tunic and discarded the rest (candy cane striped undershirt, tights and green pointy shoes can never be taken seriously). To replace the discarded parts, she wore a white, long-sleeved undershirt, a pair of fingerless leather gloves, a brown belt over her tunic, and a pair of khaki capri pants tucked into a pair of tall lace up boots.

Cleo was nervous, mostly because she didn't know what she was up against (and she was mentally hitting herself for not fighting Ghirahim in the video game out of spite). But she'd already made up her mind because this was, what might be, a onetime chance of avenging her mother. Plus, wearing the new outfit seemed to give her courage. She grabbed her sword and shield, her backpack and a rope made from her sheets. 231, that's the room Ghirahim was staying in, if she remembered correctly. That would mean he was right below her feet, so to get in, Cleo must climb down from the balcony.

She opened the sliding glass door and walked out to tie the rope to the railing. As she tightened the knot, she heard her dad's voice. "What are you doing?" he mumbled. Cleo nearly jumped in fright and guilt, had he woken up and caught her? She looked at him and saw that his eyes were still closed. "What's that lizard thing?" he mumbled again. Her dad was only talking in his sleep. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Cleo continued with her plan.

She threw the rope over the rail and watched it uncoil past the lower balcony, then she started climbing down slowly. She dared not look down, even if the fall didn't kill her, the result would be rather unpleasant. After a while, her feet had reached the railing of the second story balcony. She noticed that the bars of the railing were different than the ones up on _her_ balcony. But she didn't have time to ponder how it looked and approached the glass door.

Cleo's heart started pounding as she reached for the handle with a shaking hand. She was strongly reminded of the nightmare she'd had and was actually feeling afraid. _C'mon Cleo, just get it over with!_ she told herself.

She slid open the door and noticed that the curtains had a very coincidental pattern, diamonds. She parted those curtains to look in and what she saw made her jaw drop. Not only was the room decorated with the very same shape (from the walls and floor, to the furniture, to the smallest of baubles), but it was a whole lot bigger even than her house, like it was more of a penthouse apartment than a hotel room. Cleo slowly walked in with unavoidable awe. Little did she know that she was being watched intently by an owl sitting on a palm tree outside.

She tread across the room looking everywhere, her sword and shield already at hand. Fully alert, she kept her guard up even though there seemed to be no sign of Ghirahim. Then she thought she heard a very peculiar sound coming from another room, it sounded like a digital chime. Cleo turned to a wide opening leading to what appeared to be a dining room, although, out of the corner of her eye, the table wasn't there a second ago. As she approached, she finally heard a voice.

"Well well well... look who it is." Cleo immediately whipped around toward a corner where, in the shadows, stood her enemy. He stepped out to reveal himself to her. Ghirahim was now his true self, a tall lean body with pale-gray skin, pure white hair draped over the side of his face, dark, heavily lidded eyes, and he wore a white jumpsuit with diamond holes and a red, high-collared, triangular mantle. "You're awfully late you know, naughty." Cleo didn't answer, she just stared venom at him and readied herself. "Oh, put those away before you foolishly poke your own eye out," Ghirahim said, putting his wrist on his swaying hips. "I'll admit, I'm rather surprised that I would run into you here, what a coincidence. It truly _is_ a small world."

Ghirahim strutted over to the table and snapped his fingers. Two chairs appeared at the table out of a flurry of diamonds. Then he swung one out and sat, one of his ankles now resting on his knee. Cleo kept staring, now a bit incredulously. Surely, this has got to be some kind of trap. "When one is invited to sit down, the behavior most required is to accept." Cleo inwardly growled, she didn't need any lessons in etiquette from the likes of him. Still... it didn't look like he was going to bite, if he wanted to hurt her, he would have already attacked.

Putting away her equipment she cautiously sat down opposite him. "Now what can I get you tonight?" Ghirahim continued. "Milk? Lemonade? Coffee?" He snapped his fingers at each suggestion and the said drinks appeared on the table. "Oh wait, silly me! You're too young for coffee, aren't you?" He dismissed the last beverage and replaced it with a different one. "How about some soda instead, it's got much more caffeine-"

"Just what do you want Ghirahim!" Cleo finally spoke.

Ghirahim frowned at her. "Oh! How rude of you! After I have been so cordially formal in my greetings."

"I don't care about your formality. You know full well why I'm here," she demanded in a low voice.

"Could you, perhaps, give me a simple reminder? Because I positively have no clue as to why-"

Cleo slapped her hands on the table hard. "MY MOTHER!" she bellowed.

"Ah, yes... _her_."

"Why did you do it?! Why did you kill her?!"

"Well... I guess it was the simple fact that she was _in the way_."

"How could you! How _dare_ you treat my mom like game!"

"You misunderstand me. Isn't this obvious to you by now?" he said with a mad gleam in his terrible eyes. "I mean," he continued with a laugh, "I thought that after a recollection of that moment, you would have figured it out by now. She... wasn't the _real_ target."

"What do you mean by..." she trailed off. Suddenly, it hit her.

"Ah, finally clicked has it?"

"...You were trying to kill _me_." As she said it, she knew it must be. There was just one thing that didn't make sense. "But you failed, you knew that. Why didn't you try again?"

"Ah, now I'm terribly flattered that you asked!" he emitted in excitement, his fingers lightly brushing his hair (she could briefly see the diamond tattoo and cropped ear). Then he vanished. Cleo quickly looked around until she spotted him up above, now sitting on a round mirror chandelier, she backed away from the table fast as though afraid he might leap on top of her. "It _was_ my original intention to repeat the attempt after fuming over your dear mother's oh-so selfless act which I found _so_ irritatingly infuriating! But upon seeing your pitiful expressions of grief was I struck upside the head with another brilliant aspiration. You were never aware of my presence when I was at the funeral with you."

"What?!"

Ghirahim continued, ignoring her exclamation. "I kept hidden from you and voiced as your- what do you call it? A conscience?"

Cleo _had_ noticed a moment ago that his voice also sounded familiar, and when she now thought about it, she suddenly remembered hearing a voice at the funeral. It was that voice that convinced her of her erroneous guilt for the terrible loss. "So it was _you_ I heard! It wasn't my conscience at all! You were trying to take away all my happiness!"

"And it worked fabulously! A true work of art!" Ghirahim threw out his arms like he was presenting that art to an audience. "After the success of crushing your spirit, I left you to your writhing in misery to do other errands."

Normally one would ask what "other errands" he was doing, but Cleo was so enraged that she didn't even care what else he had been doing over the course of seven years. "Why?! Why are you doing this to me?! What is the point of all this?!"

Ghirahim let out a deep, evil chuckle. "Sorry, but I've said enough. I'm afraid you'll have to take your curiosity to your _grave_." He stood up with amazing balance, as he spoke, and teleported again. "Oh, to see your eyes burning with anger and hatred makes me burst with sunshine." He suddenly appeared right behind Cleo before she realized it and wrapped his arms around her body. She went rigid, her breath caught in her throat as she sensed his face next to hers just an inch away. "It thrills me to continue toying with one who thinks she has what it takes to vanquish the Demon Lord. I'm going to enjoy _murdering_ you, finally." He gave her a soft lick on her cheek.

Cleo, in disgust and panic, scrambled out of his embrace. "GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU SICKO!" She pulled her sword and shield back out as she watched his mantle slowly vanishing away, and Ghirahim's dark eyes turn even blacker like a predator observing his prey, poised for the kill.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days3) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 6

"Do not think me completely without honor. I'm more than willing to give you a sporting chance," Ghirahim said, snapping his fingers again. A black sword appeared in front of him and he caught it. "It's been eons since I faced a worthy opponent, let's see what you can do... Have at you!"

He crouched down and pulled his sword back, looking like he was about to charge. Cleo readied herself, holding up her shield. She braced for the strike, but was nonetheless nearly off her feet when the sword hit, it's pure black streak trailing behind. She let out a yelp of surprise, regaining her balance. She just realized how abnormally strong he was. Cleo tried to swipe at him, but he leapt back with amazing lightness. She ran after him, letting out a war cry. She swung hard as Ghirahim parried. He pushed her back and struck before she could defend herself again. She let out a shriek as she felt white hot pain in her shoulder.

Ghirahim started licking the blood off his blade as Cleo clutch her bleeding shoulder. Feeling frustrated, she tried attacking again, only for her sword to be caught between the two main fingers of his free hand, to her immense disbelief. "No way," she mouthed when he suddenly pulled away her sword and threw it up behind him, completely disarming her. It landed, imbedded, into the wall just barely out of reach. Ghirahim swiped at her again, but she ducked and dodged passed him. Ignoring the stinging pain, she sprinted as fast as she could toward the wall and practically ran up it to get her sword back.

After pulling it out of the wall and landing back on the floor, Cleo turned around in time to see him launch his next attack. Ghirahim snapped his fingers, making daggers appear and he sent them flying at her. She ducked behind a small table she knocked over. As she hid, she heard another digital chime and peeked over. Her opponent was gone. Cleo walked out, trying to spot him, but then he appeared right next to her and gave her a good hard kick. After she crashed to the floor, Ghirahim tried to plunge his blade into her. She rolled out of the way in time and got up quickly.

They faced each other intently for a whole minute (which felt like an eternity), then they both charged at once. They passed by in one clashing instant and stopped in their tracks... Then Cleo fell to one knee, her hand on her shoulder again. The pain had intensified, thankfully she didn't get hit this time. Not only had she managed to block his attack, she had also left a cut on Ghirahim's cheek. He slowly turned around and she could now see the cut, but instead of red blood oozing out, Cleo was a bit stunned by black inky blood.

"Is that your best? You left one... little... scrape... after all that struggle?... Pity, I expected more of a challenge from you than that. Now I'm getting perfectly bored of you." After listening to Ghirahim's rant, Cleo realized too late how much she was out of her league. He was right, she could barely touch him, he was too fast, too good. As her sword drooped, Ghirahim saw his chance and teleported to her and, with amazing strength, grabbed her by the throat and pinned her to the wall. As she choked and struggled, he pointed his rapier at her heart. "It's too bad really, I was _so_ hoping this fight would drag out longer. But now it's time to say good-bye."

Cleo stopped struggling and stared into his eyes. _I'm going to die,_ she thought. _I'm really going to die... It's all over... I'm sorry dad, I won't be coming back... at least... I'll be with mom again..._

She closed her eyes, readying herself for what was coming... except it didn't. Before Ghirahim could finish her off, there was a loud, high-pitched, shriek as something large and brown flew in through the glass doorway and attacked him. Cleo felt herself drop to the floor and started coughing. She looked up and saw, to her astonishment, that it was an owl.

It was pecking and clawing at Ghirahim's face as the Demon Lord tried to hit it. "Get away, you stupid bird!" Cleo watched as the owl pulled itself away and flew right over her back through the glass doorway. It landed on the railing, looked back at her and hooted urgently. She knew immediately what it was trying to say to her, she ran back out onto the balcony. Ghirahim was recovering from the attack and would soon be after her. She climbed up on the railing and, quickly examining the area below, jumped off. She landed on the hood of a car (it's siren went off upon impact), rolling right off to break her fall*. The second Cleo was standing on solid ground, she ran like mad, not daring to look back. "I'll get you girl, and your little owl too!" she heard from the balcony right after she ducked into the tropical shrubbery, clearly out of Ghirahim's sight.

* * *

Cleo had reached the beach and took a whiff of salty air and heard the roaring waves. She had stopped running when her feet reached the water, her hands on her knees, panting. She felt something vibrating in her backpack and she unzipped it to pull out her cellphone. She glanced at the name: David Hayster. Her father must've been woken up by all that noise and noticed that she was gone. "Aw man," she groaned and turned it off. She sat in the sand, feeling exhausted and guilty. "My dad's going to kill me!" Cleo noticed the owl landing next to her, staring at her with those big eyes. She smiled, despite herself. "Thanks for helping me back there."

"It was the least I could do Cleo," the owl said. Cleo was not the least bit taken aback that it could talk or that it knew her name.

"Have you been following me?" she asked.

"I have," he said with modesty. "You're very lucky I decided to, otherwise, you would be dead now. If I must be blunt with you, what you tried to do back at the hotel was foolish. Unlike yourself, he has a long time of fighting experience. He would have killed you in a minute if he wasn't toying with you."

"He _did_ say 'eons'," Cleo replied. "Just what _is_ he anyway, some kind of vampire?" After seeing him taste her blood with pleasure, she wouldn't have been surprised. Then she remembered the black blood. "Hey, you don't suppose he's a dark interloper do you?"

"I'm not quite sure," the owl said, shrugging his wings. "He is a great mystery to me, this Ghirahim. Never got the chance to see him before now."

"I guess you're right, if you had, he would be in the travel guide. I don't remember ever coming across him in there."

"Oh hoo hoo, so you know that I created the guide, do you? When did you find out?"

"The moment you winked at me on my birthday after my first trip to Hyrule," Cleo said, with a smile. Then that smile was gone the next second. "What is he doing here in Miami _anyway_? He didn't know I'd be here, so it has to be some other reason. What could he be up to?"

There was a pause, the owl turned his head in every direction not humanly possible as though looking for eavesdroppers. "You're a very brave girl, Cleo, and smart too. It seems to me that you're ready for anything, am I right?"

She looked at him curiously. "_Yes_."

"Tell me, are you prepared for whatever dangers lie ahead?" the owl asked seriously. Cleo nodded. "Then follow me, I must show you something." He held out his talon. "My name is Kaepora, by the way."

"Yeah, I know." Cleo took his talon and shook it. Kaepora took off and Cleo followed him along the beach. It was still too dark out to see well, so he hooted to her to guide her through the night. After thirty minutes of walking, they came to a rocky cliff stretching out to the ocean and a light house on the shore. Kaepora lead her on to the cobbled cliff, it looked like a wide road that just lead to nowhere. She stopped at the end.

Kaepora landed on her shoulder. "There is something hidden here," he said, pointing to the water with his wing. "Only I know where it is and can summon it." He shook that wing until a stray feather came loose and floated out gently onto the waves. The moment it landed, a bright light began to trace across the surface slowly from the feather. It had formed a spell circle, one that Cleo knew.

"A portal?" She cried, amazed. Sure enough Kaepora recited the incantation in Hylian and something began appearing in a column of light. When the light cleared, Cleo's first thought that someone tall, and feminine was standing with her back to them and was going to turn around to face them any second. But she didn't, she just stood eerily still... like a statue. "Uh, hello?..." Cleo called to her, but there was no response. It was when the beam from the lighthouse roved over them that she realized the woman she was looking at _was_ just a statue, a statue of white marble.

"This, you see before you, is one of the statues of the three goddesses. More specifically Farore, the goddess of courage."

"_One_ of the statues?"

"Yes, indeed. The two other statures were already summoned at their places."

"What places? Where are they?"

"I'll give you all the answers needed, if you'll stop interrupting me." After Cleo said "sorry" a bit sheepishly, he continued. "To answer your question, the other two are on islands called Puerto Rico and... Bermuda."

After a pause, Cleo suddenly came to a conclusion. "The Bermuda Triangle."

"You catch on fast. Yes, there _is_ a connection between the Bermuda Triangle and Hyrule. It is the one major connection that binds your realm with mine. Now listen well Cleo. There is a great portal in the center of this triangle and it was once open to all long ago, longer than man's recorded history. The two realms were peaceful neighbors and the gateway was managed by eight sages. It was an era of a great alliance... until it came to an abrupt end. A plague of evil, it's origin unknown, had spread throughout both worlds until the minds of thousands were driven to war. So the sages were forced to not only close the portal, but to erase it's history from existence. To make sure the portal stayed close, the three statues, that serve as locks to the portal, were removed of their circlets, which are the keys. These circlets were taken across your realm to different places. One is in the far east, one in the dark continent, and one in the old world."

"If I may ask, what does it have to do with Ghirahim?"

"This statue is the reason why he is here. He's looking for it. If you want to defeat him, you must find the circlets and return them to the statues in order to reopen the great portal. Once you do that, you will gain, from within, the tool to overpower him."

* * *

*Kids, do not try this at home!


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

Akairo also belongs to me.

* * *

Chapter 7

"Seriously?" Cleo asked. "If I get this 'tool', I'll finally destroy Ghirahim?"

"Listen to me Cleo, this quest isn't about getting revenge," Kaepora answered.

"And why not, he killed my mother! You heard, surely."

"You forget, that it was still an accident all along. For some strange reason, he was trying to kill _you_. And it's Kaepora, not Shirley."

"It doesn't matter! That monster wasn't the least bit sorry about it! The way he talks, he thinks of it as bonus points!" Cleo declaimed with bitterness. There was a moment's silence before she continued. "Just how are we going to reach these circlets anyway? The places you're referring to are like thousands of miles away, no matter which one we aim for first."

"That's simple really, I'll take you there myself."

Cleo looked at Kaepora weirdly. "Can you really carry me? That far?" To answer that question, the owl hopped off her shoulder onto the ground, then his body started glowing until, in a flash, he became the size of a horse. "Whoa!"

"In order to accomplish your mission, you'll need me on your journey. If there's a destination you need to go to, or any advice if you're stuck, just let me know and I will assist you in anyway I can. But first, you must promise me that you will abandon your ideas of revenge."

"Kaepora, you know I-"

"Do you swear by it!" he said more firmly. Cleo was forced to say "yes" even though she didn't mean it. At this point, she'd say anything to get the job done. "If there's any preparations you need to do, now's the time. I don't want you ill equipped."

Cleo had looked through her inventory, she had her sword and shield, her cellphone, her maps and a deflated beach ball squashed in the bottom of her backpack. She noticed she only had around ten dollars, not enough to buy plentiful food for a long trip. Plus, since she's going to foreign places, she wouldn't have the right currency anyway. She traveled around the beach some more until she came across a late-night fisherman and she bought a retractable fishing rod from him. Now she could catch her own food whenever she needed to. Cleo also turned her cellphone back on to give her dad a text message, telling him she was all right and would explain later (_way_ later, unfortunately). Then she took off on Kaepora toward their first circlet, Farore's, which was located in Japan.

Despite being her first flight, Cleo wasn't the least bit excited mostly because she was forcing herself to leave her father behind. She let out a heavy sigh. "I wish I could tell dad what I'm actually doing."

Kaepora turned his head toward her. "Like what? 'Sorry dad, but I must go save the word'? He won't understand you know. I don't blame your father for worrying, I was once a father myself a very long time ago. I had a beautiful daughter, like you and she was the whole world to me. Although, I'll admit, I was a bit overprotective with her sometimes. We used to live up in the sky where we once believed there was nothing below the clouds. But my daughter, one day, had these strange dreams and kept telling me... ...I told her firmly... ...Then there was this youn... ...A blue spi... ... ... ... ..." _... ... ...Cleo... ...Cleo... the time is coming Cleo... ...time to awaken... ...It's time Cleo... ... you must awaken..._ ... ... "... ... ...She taught me a valuable lesson that day: That every soul is born with a purpose. That's why I had to take you with me. You might be the one who will-" Kaepora noticed that Cleo had fallen asleep. "Cleo?"

She jerked awake. "Wha-! What was that? Something about a purpose?" she asked groggily.

"I'm sorry, I failed to realize that you needed sleep. I was only telling you the short version of the story anyway. Maybe, someday, I'll tell you the full one."

Cleo spotted land and behind her she could see the rising sun (either he was a really fast flyer or he could warp). "That was a short version?"

Unlike in Florida where it was pleasantly warm, the foresty area where they landed was cold, the ground was covered in a thin layer of frost and snow was lightly falling. Cleo looked around her new surroundings, she was on a dirt path cutting through a woodland of bamboo and bare cherry trees.

Kaepora changed back to normal size and landed on her shoulder. "The first circlet isn't too far from here. But getting to it will be tricky."

"Really? How come?" asked Cleo.

"Because not only are they spread out across your world, they're also very well hidden. You don't expect them to just sit in some drawer, collecting dust, do you? It was important to make sure they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. There are even traps and enchantments that help protect the circlets. If you want to gather them, you'll have to get past these obstacles."

"I see, do you know where they are?"

"I do, I helped hide them."

"Helped?" she repeated.

"Oh yes, hoo hoo. There are people to whom I had entrusted the circlets. Here, Farore's circlet was entrusted to a monk who looks after an ancient temple with no doors or windows or any other form of entrance. The circlet is in that temple."

"But if there's no entrance, how do we get in?"

"That is where we turn to the monk. Only _he_ knows how to get in."

Kaepora took off and led Cleo along the path. It wound its way slowly upward on a hill, as she walked along a steep edge, she could see a small town below dotted with people. She occasionally passed by stone lanterns or whatnot then went up a few flights of cobbled steps, framed by a row of red, curved archways. After her climb, she came to a large, majestic building which was three floors tall, looking like an old-fashioned, oriental mansion. Upon approaching it, Cleo noticed something peculiar: There was no door, as far as she could see or recognize. She decided to walk around the building to see if she could find any possible way in. There was none, all around was nothing but wall embellished with mystical, multi-tailed foxes and other creatures.

"I suppose this is the temple you were telling me about?" Cleo asked Kaepora when he landed on one of the stone lanterns.

Before she could hear the answer, another voice was heard, nearly making her jump. "Wakai josei, anata dare?" She turned toward a man staring at her with narrow smiling eyes. He was tall and had a slim face, he was wearing a maroon, long-sleeve haori (coat) over a gray hangi (top) and deep red hakama (pants). "Nanishiteruno?"

"Uh, hi. I come in peace," Cleo tried to say, raising her hand in welcome.

The Japanese man paused for a bit before responding. "Oh, you are American. Checking out the temple, I see," he said, walking up to her. "So sorry though, tourism is closed. Perhaps you can come back another season? I promise you it will be pleasant in spring."

This must either be an off duty tour guide, or the monk Cleo needed to see. "I just have one question about this place, that's all. If I'm not taking too much of your time?"

"Is that so? And what _is_ this 'one question'?"

Cleo thought hard. "Well, I heard this... rumor, it's about a circlet." If there was any question he wasn't expecting, that was it. The guy's friendly face looked a bit stunned. His carefree, casual persona disappeared, he was now giving her his undivided attention, listening intently to what she had to say. "I hear it's inside this temple. Do you know anything about this?"

"And where did you hear this rumor?" he asked earnestly.

"Oh, uh." Cleo half-glanced at her owl companion. "Some guy name Kaepora," she answered honestly.

"I see..." The man thought for a moment. "What is your name?"

"It's Cleo."

"My name is Akairo." He gave her a bow. "Why don't you come over to my house, Cleo-chan?"

Normally, one doesn't accompany a complete stranger to their house, however... Cleo wasn't sure what it was, but she could sense Akairo's benevolent aura. She could tell he had a friendly air about him. "Alright," she answered. Akairo gave a warm smile and led her to a wooden cabin several yards away past the trees, Kaepora following. Akairo removed his sandals at the sliding doors and went inside, Cleo followed suit.

Inside was a simple tea room with a table very low to the tatami matted floor, just mere inches from it. Instead of chairs, there were cushions you could sit on. There was an opening to another room where Cleo could see a flat screen tv and a sleeping bag. On shelves, there were a few bonsai and an Arwing model.

Akairo sat on his cushion and beckoned her to sit opposite him. "So tell me honestly Cleo-chan, do you wish to find a way to enter the temple?"

Cleo looked really surprised. "What makes you think that?"

"You are the very first person who ever spoke of or asked about the circlet since as long as I remember. There are many stories surrounding the ancient Temple of Kitsune, stories of spirits. But none of these tales mention a circlet, because there was no jewelry worn by the women of my country, at least not back in the old days. None of the visitors, either from here or from elsewhere, even know about the treasure's existence."

"But you do," Cleo responded.

Akairo smiled again and chuckled. "As the monk of the temple, I was the only one who knew about the circlet before you came along. I am also the only one who knows the secret to entering the unenterable. But do not think I will give away that secret to you just because you also know about the circlet. If you want to find it, you must first gain my trust."

"What can I do?"

"I am in need of something in the town. If you could run a small errand for me I might be willing to tell you the secret entrance."

"And that 'something' would be?"

"Soy milk! I'm out of it. I was planning to go pick some up today, but I decided maybe you could, if it is not taking too much of your time?"

"Pick up soy milk? That's it?"

"That is it," he said with another chuckle.

Cleo was taken aback by this unexpected little chore. She thought Akairo was going to ask her to do something like go up in the mountains to find a near-impossible to find herb or get a rare golden, starry pearl of a dragon, but shopping for exotic dairy? This could be easier than she thought. "Okay, I'll do it Akairo-san!" Cleo said cheerfully, addressing him the traditional japanese way in politeness.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 8

Cleo was given some money for the milk and she took off to the nearby town down the hill. On the way someone was spying on her, two someones.

"Oi, is it her?"

"Of course it's her, duh dummy!"

"How do we know for sure?"

"She's got one head, two arms, two legs. I mean, how hard can that be?"

"Oh, okay. Whatever you say bro."

Two short figures hidden in the shadows of the bamboo were watching Cleo through a telescope they were sharing. The one who called his partner a 'dummy' put it away. "If what the boss says is true, she's going after the what-do-you-call-it. That circle thingy and that's very bad for us."

"Uh... why is it bad again?"

"Wha-?! Do NOT question the commands of our boss! Have you forgotten our army's policy? Attack first, ask questions later!"

"...Sorry."

"The boss is counting on us, he told us to stop her and that's what we'll do," he said as he pulled out a bow and arrow. He aimed it at Cleo. She stopped dead and suddenly ducked down as the arrow zipped right over her and disappeared into the shrubbery. "She dodged it!" he gasped.

Cleo stood back up with a chubby scottish fold in her arms. "Hey there, where did you come from," she said gently, stroking the cat's head while it purred. It had come out of nowhere and been rubbing itself against her legs which caught her attention.

The shadowed pursuer nocked another arrow and took aim.

"Sorry buddy, I'll play with you later." Cleo put the cat back down as the arrow narrowly missed her by a hair and hit a tree with a twa-a-a-a-a-ang! She continued down the hill after the cat left.

"Whoa! She is _good!_ No wonder the boss's after her, she's obviously mastered the art of dodging!"

"Uh, it doesn't look like she even noticed."

"Oh c'mon, that's exactly what she wants you to think. She's trying to make you drop your guard by playing dumb. Don't fall for it. Now c'mon, let's go after her!"

"Oh, okay. Whatever you say bro."

* * *

It took a while to get to the town. Despite the cold, the place was bustling. There were plenty of interesting places here, some shops with signs Cleo couldn't read, but could tell what they might be by their displays. There were several fish markets with all kinds of sea creatures for sale, and even sea weed. There was a sushi bar and grill with a moving belt, a ramen shop, an arcade, and, not too far from there, a small park where some kids with smiling narrow eyes much like Akairo's were playing in the snow and bowing to her ("Konichiwa!") as they ran by. Finally, she came to a convenience store with an english sign called FamilyMart.

Cleo entered the shop and went to the cooler shelves. There were different milk bottles and the labels were all in japanese, but there was a row of them with images of bean pods. She grabbed enough to make up two gallons and went over to the cashier. "Are they soy milk?" she asked, hoping he'd understand her.

"Yes they are. That will be 2500 yen." After Cleo paid the money, the shop manager said "Arigato, you buy two gallons of milk, you get one quart bottle for free." After earning that extra bottle of soy milk and putting it in her backpack, she left with a "Thank you."

She had just left the town when she ran into something peculiar. "All right, get ready," she heard a voice whisper. "Here she comes." She realized that someone was nearby and started looking around. Not too far from her were the two mysterious prowlers, hiding behind their chosen camouflage.

"Uh, are we doing a sneak attack?"

"Of course we're doing a sneak attack, what do you think we're doing?"

Cleo spotted them. "What the?!" She was staring quizzically at the most ridiculous thing she'd ever seen. "What the hell is this?"

"...I think she can see us."

"She can _not,_ don't be absurd."

"Oi, she can see us past our bushes."

'Bushes' was a serious overstatement. The reason Cleo saw them was because they were hiding behind what was no more than a couple of gnarly sticks. "Just who exactly are you guys?" she demanded.

"Looks like the jig's up!" A red ogre-like bokoblin with a blue cap threw his stick aside and brought out his machete. Another one identical to the first one, wearing a green cap, did the same. "Alright missy, prepare yourself! We're the most feared pair of bokoblins you ever did see!"

"Uh yeah, that's right!" said the one in the green cap.

"You're going to wish we never crossed paths!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Start trembling in fear as we inflict some hurt!"

"Yeah, what he said!"

"Hear our scary sounding names and scream! I am Oi!"

"I am Ollo!"

"And we are the Bokoblin Brothers!" they both said as one while absurdly showing off.

Cleo just stood there, a brisk breeze swirled leaves past her with a _wooooshhhhhh_. "... ... ...You have _got_ to be kidding me."

Oi and Ollo started swinging their machetes. "Now hand over that circle thingy!" Oi shouted as they charged at her. Cleo quickly put down the bags of milk and withdrew her sword and shield. She blocked their attacks and countered, Oi parried her swings while Ollo hit her on the leg. "Ah!" Cleo backed away and nearly toppled over on the milk. For guys who were not very smart, they were certainly no pushovers. She needed to get serious, this time she fought back hard and with precision and focus. It wasn't long before she managed to strike them both.

"Oi, I think we're losing," said Ollo, lying on the ground.

"No we're not! We're just getting warmed u-AAIII!" Cleo had stabbed Oi in the butt while he was distracted. He began hopping up and down with his hands on his rear. "Alright, that's it! Time to call down the thunder!"

He pulled out a horn and blew. A low echoing blast rent the cold air and it wasn't long before a dozen bokoblins appeared from their hiding places and swarmed around Cleo.

"Great, now what?" Cleo asked herself. A stray arrow flew by her and hit one of the grocery bags. She heard a shatter and knew that one of the bottles broke. "Hey! What's your beef guys?!"

At that moment, a shadow crossed over her and she looked up. Kaepora flew down and landed on her shoulder. "Considering, you were taking longer than expected, I assumed you ran into some trouble. Looks to me like I was right."

"Kaepora, it's been awhile since I played a Zelda game. Can you remind me how to beat a _whole_ army of bokoblins?" Cleo asked urgently. With the guidance of her partner, she was able to tackle the large group with minimum damage. Even Kaepora swooped in to attack with his talons. They both were able to protect the rest of the milk from harm. Soon all the bokoblins had fallen, save for two certain ones.

"Darn it! Darnitdarnitdarnitdarnit!" exclaimed Oi, stamping his foot. "You may have beaten my army, but Ollo and I will keep fighting you to the death if we have to! Right Ollo?" There was no answer. "Ollo?" He turned around to see Ollo running for his life. Oi's jaw dropped and he turned back to Cleo who's face was set. "Oh, what's that behind you?!" And without bothering to wait and see if she'd fall for that, he too hightailed it outta there. "Wait up Ollo!"

* * *

Cleo got back to Akairo's not too long after the ambush incident. "Ah, there you are Cleo-chan. How did the errand go?" the monk asked, cheerful as usual. Then his face fell when he got a good look at her. "What happened to you?"

Cleo had a few scrapes and bruises from the fight. "Never mind that." She held up the bags. "I got your milk, I'll put it in the fridge for you." After she placed them in the mini-fridge she turned back to Akairo.

"You have been attacked, have you not?" Cleo didn't know what to say, but she nodded. "I see... While you were out, your friend Kaepora had been filling me in with the situation at hand. There is no need to look so surprised. I have known him long." Cleo had been staring at him and then turned to Kaepora who flew in through the open sliding door.

"There were bokoblins in the vicinity," Kaepora reported to Akairo as though it was a normal part of the job. "They were what attacked Cleo during her errand. Akairo, there is no doubt in my mind that the Demon Lord Ghirahim sent them after her. We mustn't waste any time."

"Yes, I understand," said Akairo, thoughtfully. "If this girl really is... Cleo-chan is certainly trustworthy, she has just proven that." He turned back to Cleo and started smiling again. "Very well, it is high time to reveal my true self to you!" And before she could ask what he meant by that, there was big burst of smoke with a loud _poof!_ and Akairo disappeared to be replaced by a red fox with six tails.

Cleo shouted out in surprise. "What-?! What happened to Akairo?"

The fox chuckled with the same chuckle as the monk. "Silly girl, I _am_ Akairo. This, you see before you, is my true form. You see Cleo-chan I am a Kitsune or Keaton in Hylian and I am the only one who can get in the temple."

"But how do you do it? Can you teach me?"

"Oh I am not going to teach you." Cleo looked disconcerted. "But I will give you some of my abilities. Not any of my magic powers of course, that is not how it works. But with my more natural talents, you will go far." Then he jumped onto the table and pulled out two japanese flag fans, waving them around. Cleo was getting more and more confused by the second. "Kurattu baradda nikkuto!" And with another poof of smoke (this time with a colorful flash), the fox transformed again into what appeared to be a single, unmoving face suspended in midair which fell and clattered on the table. When Cleo took a closer look, she realized the face was a mask.

"Akairo?" Cleo picked up the mask, it felt warm in her hands. Should she put it on? She remembered vividly, as though it were yesterday, another mask she was forced to wear to help her friends and it had an extremely negative side effect that almost took away her soul. Although she was secretly thankful to the evil spirit in that mask, because if it weren't for Majora, she probably would never have overcome her misguided guilt. The fox mask, however, wasn't dangerous, Cleo was sure. But she couldn't help hesitating, Akairo never told her what was to happen should she put it on.

Cleo closed her eyes and placed the mask on her face.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 9

Cleo felt intense pain. It started on her face where the fox mask was placed, feeling like it was fusing into her skin. It opened it's mouth in conjunction with her loud yell. Then the pain spread throughout the rest of her body as her skin, muscle, and bone started bending and twisting to a different shape. She was enveloped in a soft, shimmering light during the change which vanished when it was complete. After that, a human being was no longer standing where Cleo was.

She had briefly collapsed before picking herself up and shaking, incredibly faster than she could before. "What just happened?"

"It would seem that Akairo has put himself in you," Kaepora answered her.

"What?" Cleo looked at her hands, except... she no longer had hands. Instead, she could see dark brown paws. She quickly looked around and found a mirror. When she peered at it, she wasn't looking at herself, at least not recognizably. Staring back at her was a grey-blue eyed fox. "Whoa!" She jumped in sudden surprise. "I'm a fox!"

Then she heard Akairo's merry chuckles inside her head. "Not to worry about that, this is not permanent. Whenever you want to change back to normal, just put your paws on each side of your face and the mask will come right off."

Cleo tried that and another painful change later (she braced for it that time), she was human again. She looked at the mask and put it back on. "Cool!" she said in excitement after becoming a fox once more. "But how does being a fox help me enter the Temple?"

"Just follow your new instincts," Akairo answered. "You will know what to do soon enough."

Cleo shrugged her shoulders (raised her back more like). "All right." She turned to Kaepora. "Shall we get going?"

"Yes indeed, hoo hoo!"

So Cleo and Kaepora went back to the Temple of Kitsune. But when they reached it, no idea or realization came to her. She still had no clue as to how to get in. Maybe if she used her nose? It was worth a shot. She took a whiff and the inside of her long nostrils immediately started burning. All the smells she had inhaled as a human became ten times stronger and were added to many other smells she could never detect before. She could even smell the soy milk all the way from the little fridge at Akairo's.

Feeling intrigued, Cleo started sniffing vigorously, trying to guess what each smell was. She could smell the scent of cherries, still lingering long after the trees had gone bare in winter. She could smell the natural musk of mice burrowing deep underground. Speaking of mice, one had just poked it's head out of the ground and began to look around, then, popping out of the hole, scurried across the frosted grass. Cleo spotted it running and (she was unsure why) gave chase. The mouse squeaked in a panic, zipped toward the wall of the temple and burrowed back down.

Cleo stopped at the new hole and stuck her whole snout in it. She could feel that the dirt was soft and loose and she started digging. The more she dug, the more she could detect a new smell, a strange smell she was unable to identify. She could also hear faint whispers, the voices of unseen people.

Cleo pulled herself back out. "Kaepora, I..." She paused. "I think there's something down here."

He flew down at her side. "You found something have you?"

"Do you hear that? It's coming from underground."

"You may have discovered a secret underneath this temple."

"...'Underneath the temple'!" Cleo's face lit up like a lightbulb. "Of course, the entrance is under the ground!"

"I don't think I will be able to follow you into the temple though. Fortunately, I can communicate with Akairo telepathically, since we're both animal spirits. As long as you're in this form you'll be able to hear my voice as well. Let me know if you need anymore advice."

"Gotcha." Cleo continued to dig, reaching the narrow tunnels. She crawled her way through these tunnels until she came to a wide open space. She found herself in a cavernous room with plants and bamboo growing and glowing specks floating everywhere. In there, she found a door, the secret entrance.

Past that door, Cleo explored the Temple of Kitsune. The overall place was very foresty and mystical. The enemies were deku scrubs, poes and other kitsune spirits. They were there to protect the place from intruders. There were more harmless spirits called yureis Cleo could talk to as a fox (she couldn't see them as a human). They gave her hints on what to do once she solved whatever problems they had and one of them awarded her with a Bamboo Slingshot. Most of the place and it's puzzles were phantasmal and she had to look past the illusion and use her new item. She also got to the upper floors with vines she grew with spring water (Cleo had to drain her bottle of soy milk beforehand).

Finally, she came to the final room where she faced her first boss.

**Shade of Illusion:**  
**Tenome**

It was a poe with no face that had an eye on each palm of its hand. Cleo had to fight it as a fox so it would be visible to her. She leapt on it the moment she found an opening and her jaw locked, sharp teeth sunk in its ghostly skin. Once she inflicted enough damage, it opened its eyes, making it solid. She changed back into a human and used her slingshot to hit the eyeballs. It fought back by using fake copies of itself and shooting purple fire and lasers. After Cleo repeated the whole process a few times, both of Tenome's eyes died and a new, huge, third eye grew from where it's mouth would have been. That was when she used her sword to finish it and it died, squealing, burning to ashes in the purple flames.

After the poe was gone, another door magically appeared before Cleo. She opened it and stepped through to what appeared to be a shrine with the symbol of Farore. Then a bright light shone, illuminating the whole room before it took the physical form of a beautiful golden kitsune spirit with nine tails. Cleo was almost hypnotized by her.

"You have done well child. You came far," she said with a soft gentle voice. "But this is only the first part of the task. There is still a long ways before you can complete it and many hardships before you can open the portal of the Bermuda Triangle and obtain the tool the Gods have hidden away. For your skills and cleverness as a fighter, you are proven worthy enough to possess the first circlet. It is yours now." With a green glow, she summoned Farore's Circlet and handed it to Cleo.

"A-arigato," said Cleo.

"The next place you must go is Mount Kilimanjaro. That is where the next circlet will be."

Then Akairo appeared, floating beside Cleo. "You are most gracious, dear mother."

"Mother? She's your mom?" Cleo asked, surprised and amused.

"Well... yes. But that is not important. Cleo-chan, I hope you do not mind, but it has been years since I actually had a little adventure." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I would love to come along with you, just for a little while longer?"

"Well sure, your abilities are really helpful. I think they may come in handy." Cleo turned back to the golden kitsune, who nodded. Then a green glow shone around the young girl and she was floating upward into the bright light.

* * *

With a new destination, Cleo climbed on Kaepora and took off to Africa. Being wide awake this time, she now saw that he _could_ warp, but even with warping, it took awhile to get to where they were heading. During the trip, the air became warmer and warmer and by the time they reached the savannas, it was like early summer. They landed on the rocky base of the mountain where Cleo was overwhelmed by its immensity.

"I cannot fly up there, the winds are too strong. In order to reach the circlet, you'll have to climb."

"All the way to the top?" Cleo asked, dubiously.

"No no, of course not! Do you even know what kilimanjaro means?"

"I don't speak any african, but my best guess is 'it's impossible to climb to the top because it's a crazy thing to do'," Cleo answered sarcastically.

"Well, you are _close._ The circlet isn't at the top, it's inside the mountain, in the very heart of the volcano. Mind you, it's a dormant volcano, it hasn't erupted for centuries. But if you go deep enough, you'll find some lava for sure. There's a hidden entrance somewhere up in the middle that will take you to the center."

"Okay then. I guess I better get started." Cleo began climbing the rocks.

"Hold on a moment," Kaepora interrupted, making her stop jerkily with one foot off the ground.

"_What?_" she asked, annoyed.

"Even if you're a good climber and can reach the entrance, you'll still not get anywhere."

Cleo scoffed and lowered herself back down. "Why not?"

"Because it's still very hot in the center of the mountain, too hot for a normal human to handle."

"Okay then, how in the world am I suppose to get that circlet without roasting like a christmas ham?"

"There is a way. A tribal village is not too far from the mountain. If a long line of shaman have survived since the ancient chieftain hid the treasure away, there should be a witch doctor that will know the answer."

"Is he an animal spirit too?"

"No, but witch doctors are skilled with magic medicines and cleromancy."

"Cleromancy, that's divination isn't it? Well I hope he doesn't have to turn me into a t-rex or a rolling washing machine." _Of course_ Cleo added to herself, _he could make me a voodoo doll of Ghirahim and save me the trouble with the circlets._

* * *

The village was over four miles away. Cleo turned into a fox in order to get there quickly (flying Kaepora to a village full of people was too high profile). The place was small with around 50 huts. Children were either running around playing or helping their fathers with the chores and women were gathering water or crops or tending to weaving. Cleo changed back from behind a hut before entering the natives' grounds. They greeted her warmly and were mildly interested in her green attire.

"I am looking for a witch doctor. _Witch doctor?_" Cleo asked a sage looking woman. The woman responded in her native tongue, but seemed to understand the question because she pointed to a hut that was displaying a wildebeest skull and a faint sound of rattling was heard from there. "Oh, okay," Cleo said before she was given a piece of fruit by the woman. "Thanks."

Cleo entered the hut and could smell the scent of burning herb and various strange incense. There, in the shadows, crouched a man adorned with animal bones, a few exotic feathers and white skin paint. The witch doctor had his eyes closed when she entered and when he opened them to see her, she noticed that one of them was glossy with blindness. "I thought I heard the flutter of owl's wings. So you've come for the circlet."


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days3) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

Tendaji also belongs to me.

* * *

Chapter 10

Cleo had opened her mouth before the witch doctor spoke, kept it open for a few stunned seconds and then closed it again. _This is definitely no ordinary Mumbo Jumbo,_ she thought.

The witch doctor's face was impassive. "I am Tendaji. What name is yours?"

"Cata-I mean Cleo!" she hastily said. Those eyes were distracting her and she felt her face growing hot with embarrassment.

Tendaji stood up and walked over to her. Before she knew it, he grabbed her face gently by her lower jaw and examined her closely with his good eye. She felt a chill go though her, but not in a fearful way. There was just something about him that necessitated reverence. He turned her face slightly one way, then the other and finally, stared intensely into her eyes. "I see... no fear... no form of doubt. Instead I see... ...sadness... loss... anger... ... Your mind is clouded... with too many emotions... all of them confusing..." He finally let go of her and turned his attention to an herbal mixture in a bowl. "But I also see a strong spirit, full of bravery and heart. The heart is like an iron sword, ready to fight at will and also like a sword it can rust in the water falling from those clouds like rain... Without right emotions to keep it sharp and gleaming, it will corrode until it is damaged beyond repair."

Cleo was silent for a moment before speaking. "W-why are you telling me this? What's it got to do with the circlet?" she asked in a respectful manner.

Tendaji finished mixing with the masher and looked back up at Cleo. "In time, all will be clear." Then he grabbed a pair of flints. With one tap, the whole bowl sparked for a second and started smoking with a strange smell. "Now give me a lock of your hair."

Cleo was hesitant for a moment before holding out a thin strand. He pulled out a short dagger and chopped it off, then dropped it in the embers. The smoke turned blue and took a peculiar shape. She thought she saw a humanoid figure draped in a mantle and it disappeared leaving behind a familiar pattern. Cleo wasn't sure if that was a real image or just part of her imagination.

"I see now..." said Tendaji, to himself. He seemed to be able to "see" more than what Cleo could. He pushed the bowl aside to leave some space and threw some nuts on the ground. He looked at their positions carefully as though they had an answer. "To seek the treasure in the fiery pit of Kilimanjaro, you must find the Fire Coral Earrings. They will protect you from the intense heat."

"Where are they?"

"They are buried and apart. One is under a tree, one is under a rock and before you can find them both, you must seek the help from a friend you have not yet met. A friend who's loyalty is as strong as his mind. It is what the message tells me."

"Well it's not a very clear message. Can I at least know what fire coral is supposed to look like?"

Tendaji didn't answer, instead he reached back behind him and pulled out a piece of tomatoey red stone. Cleo, looked at it for a moment before pulling out the fox mask. "I see you are accompanied by the Kitsune Spirit." She didn't respond to Tendaji, she just put it on to turn. He held the stone out to her as she took a good sniff at it and memorized it's scent.

After that, the witch doctor asked for Cleo's piece of fruit she'd gotten earlier so he could finish a potion he was working on. When he was finished, he gave her, in return, some red potion. He said that she was free to come back for more later and asked for her to pick up whatever natural ingredients she could find. Then she dismissed herself when a native woman came in with her sick child.

"So that's what we have to do is it, hoo hoo?"

"Yeah, but I still don't get the new friend part. Who is he talking about anyway, do you know?"

"I'm not quite sure."

"Some help you are."

Cleo was running across the savanna on all fours while talking to Kaepora. She was following the scent through the shrubbery, dodging dust devils and avoiding large predators. At one point, she ran into a cobra and was forced to kill it when it stubbornly blocked her way because she was in its territory. She reached the tree where one of the earrings was supposed to be buried, but the ground was too hard to dig. She tried looking for the other under the rock, the ground there was hard too. Cleo was getting frustrated.

"Ugh! This is stupid! I'm just wasting time!"

Kaepora landed next to her. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out."

"Damn it, I really wish Tendaji would tell me specifically who we're supposed to turn to instead of giving me this walla walla bing ba-" FFFWT! Kaepora suddenly fell, completely still. "Kaepora! What happened to you?!" Cleo cried out in a panic. She spotted something strange protruding from his neck. By the time she realized it was a dart, she was hit with one as well.

In seconds, she was getting drowsy. She heard footsteps approaching and looked up in time to see people coming at her. "Got 'em!" one of them said. "This one's a beauty!" said another. "It's pelt's definitely worth a few bucks." _Poachers, _was Cleo's final thought before she succumbed to the sedation. She collapsed on the ground, out cold.

* * *

_... ... ...Cleo... ...Cleo... the time is coming Cleo... ...time to awaken..._

A voice was calling to her, a voice she hadn't heard before... it sounded strange... sounded... alien...

_...It's time Cleo... ... you must awaken..._

Alien... except... it was also...

"Cleo-chan, Cleo-chan! You must wake up!" Cleo opened her eyes groggily in the semi-darkness. She had just woken up at the sound of Akairo's voice in her head. She got up with a start as an exhaust roared beneath her and hit her head on thin bars.

"Ow!" After shaking herself, Cleo found that she was in a cage on the back of a jeep, its engine rumbling. She looked around and saw Kaepora in another cage, still unconscious. She quickly checked the door on her own cage and, thankfully, it was a standard flip slide door. She fiddled with it with her paw for a couple of seconds and she was out. The back of the jeep was so full of cages that the rear gate wouldn't close, instead there was a bungee cord to hold them in. Cleo walked along the open gate to Kaepora's cage. But before she could start picking the lock, the jeep jerked forward, causing her to slide right off.

She hit the ground hard and saw the vehicle driving away. "No, Kaepora!" She bolted after it as fast as she could even though it was clearly faster than her. She can't lose it, she can't lose Kaepora, not just because she needed him but because he was her friend. She ran for quite a while, maybe half an hour, following the smell of the exhaust after losing sight of it, before she finally caught up. The jeep was parked near a large rock and she heard the men's excited voices. They weren't in or at the vehicle, which was perfect for Cleo. She took the mask off so she could grab Kaepora's cage and run. But something made her stop.

When she came up to the jeep, Cleo spotted them, the Poachers, near a pit, doing something that caused her to momentarily forget Kaepora. They were gathered around what, at first seemed to be a large gray boulder covered in a net, but, when it moved and made a trumpet sound, she realized it was a bull elephant. She hid behind the rock to listen to what they were saying.

"Man that thing put up a fight!"

"Well it's ours now! Good job boys!"

One of them got a gun ready, Cleo knew it was no dart gun. The elephant struggled again, bellowing in what was clearly fear. "Now quit yer belly achin', we just want your tusks. Nothin' personal." She could not stand for this, however. It was time to act. "Say good-night Dumbo!"

"NO!" Cleo ran out at them, in a war cry, catching them all off guard. She charged at the one with the gun and knocked it from his hands with her sword, then she hit it again, breaking it in half. Ignoring their exclamations of "What are you doing?!", she stood between the poachers and the elephant. "You leave him ALONE!"

"You little brat!" said the one pulling out a smaller gun. Cleo was ready, she blocked his fire with her shield and countered with her sling shot. The special Deku Nuts knocked him completely off his feet. The other poachers closed in with their knives and Cleo fought back, hitting them with the flat side of her sword.

"Man, what's up with this kid?! She's a monster!"

"C'mon, let's get outta here!" They ran for the jeep and drove off before Cleo could stop them.

"You're the real monsters!" she shouted at their retreating backs. They were gone, along with Kaepora. "Don't worry, I'll save you... somehow." Now it was time to turn her attention to the elephant who continued to struggle. "It's all right," Cleo tried to say, soothingly. "I'm gonna get you outta here big guy." She used her sword once more to cut him loose. When he was free, he got up so fast that she was knocked backwards.

They were too close to the pit and she fell in it with a hard thud! Rubbing her rear, she looked up and realized, with a sinking feeling, the serious situation she was in. The pit was deep, _too_ deep and the walls were too soft and unstable to climb. She was trapped.

"Now what?" Cleo groaned. She wished Kaepora was with her now, but he wasn't. She couldn't get out on her own, she had to think of something fast. Before she could, however, a shadow loomed over her and she looked up. The bull elephant was walking dangerously close to the edge. "No! Go back! You're gonna fall in too!" she tried calling to him, even though he didn't seem to understand her.

He was walking back and forth restlessly, making panicked noises. Then he bent his front knees to lean foward and lowered his trunk into the pit. What was he doing? The trunk was reaching out to her and she then understood that he was trying to help her. Cleo tried to reach back but quickly realized that his trunk wasn't long enough. After several attempts, the elephant seemed to have given up and left her.

But in just a few minutes, he came right back, holding a sturdy branch. He held it down for her and she grabbed on. He backed up slowly while Cleo held on tight. After an intense near fall, she was finally out.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 11

The bull elephant started touching her with his trunk, probably to check her over. "I'm fine!" Cleo said with a laugh. But her laugh faltered when she remembered Kaepora. "What am I gonna do? I can't continue this quest without him. And _they'll_ fire at me once I come within ten feet of them." She looked up at the elephant. She'd like to give him a proper thank you and good-bye before she attempted a rescue. She put on the fox mask to change.

The elephant let out a trumpet of surprise and, for the first time, she heard a voice she understood as though he _was_ human. "Whoa! What just happened tae the wee lass? She was thare a second ago!"

"Uh, hi! It's me! I'm the girl that rescued you! I can turn into this fox, you see?"

"Oh really? I didnae know humans could dae that."

"Well, _I_ can. Listen, thank you for helping me back there, but I need to go now. There's a friend of mine that needs me. He was captured by those poachers."

"I see... Well at least let me come along. I can help ya save your friend."

"I don't know. Those poachers are ruthless. Are you sure you want to come."

"Aye, it's the least I can dae! Ye saved _ma_ life, I am forever in your debt. Ye may hae tae cover your ears." Then he let out the loudest blast he could muster which carried across the savanna. After a moment of blaring, a whole heard of elephants started coming toward them. "Thae ruddy poachers hae hurt ma kin, but after seeing ya fight them off like it was nothing I now know we can too." He lowered himself onto his knees. "Climb on ma back an hold on tight lass!" Cleo, smiling, took off her mask and hopped on.

* * *

"Oi, are you sure she's here?"

"Of course I'm sure Ollo! The boss told me so earlier!"

"Oh, okay. Whatever you say bro."

Oi and Ollo were hiding in a orchard. "Now my sources tell me she was spotted just over that hill and is coming this way."

"Uh, yea?"

"So, as soon as she comes close we attack, this time, without mercy."

"Here she comes! Here she comes!" called another bokoblin.

"Okay remember, no mercy," Oi commanded.

"No mercy," Ollo repeated.

"No mercy!"

"No mercy!"

"NO MERCY!" they both shouted as one and then charged out of their hiding places toward their target, screaming a war cry. They stopped dead, their raised machetes dropping along with their jaws. Then they turned right around and ran the other direction, screaming even louder. Instead of just Cleo coming over the hill they were watching, there was also a stampeding herd of elephants. They ran back into the orchard, Ollo slammed into a tree in his panic, causing a strange, lumpy protrusion in the leaves to shake violently. It fell and landed on top of his head.

"Ollo, are you alright?"

"Swirly honey, swirl-" Ollo's muffled voice said before he suddenly started screaming and going crazy, trying to get it off him. Oi helped him pull it off with a pop, within seconds, the air became thick with buzzing and stinging as angry honey bees attacked them both. Soon the whole hidden army of bokoblins where overwhelmed by bees and were forced out of hiding, only to get trampled by the elephants.

Oi and Ollo were left, hiding in the trees, covered in large lumps, watching Cleo leave with the herd. "Again, she thwarted us! It must've taken her all morning to plan this trap!"

"So uh... what do we do now bro?"

* * *

Cleo rode the herd toward the poacher's camp, coaxing them to charge in a stampede. The poachers were caught off guard and totally unprepared, all they could do was run. The elephants trampled on the tents and knocked over the equipment. Cleo used her sling shot against the hunters, knocking them out. The poacher who shot at Cleo earlier (evidently he was the leader) grabbed his dart gun and fired away at random members of the herd. She saw him and leapt off of her mount to face him.

"Wha-? You?!" he shouted in anger. He shot a Cleo again, but she blocked it easily.

"There will be no more of your cruel hunting! Let them all go, starting with the owl, now!" she commanded, pointing her sword at him.

"Why do you care? They're just dumb animals! What's the point of their existence if we can't enjoy the thrill of the hunt?"

"You sound like someone I know, someone I HATE!" Cleo spat the last word at him. "You make me _SICK_!"

"Bring it girly!" He pulled out his long dagger and lunged at her. Cleo parried and countered, again, hitting only with the flat side of her sword. He managed to slice her on her arm and, in her brief moment of intense pain, kicked her. She fell on the ground and narrowly moved her head out of the way before she felt another stab of pain shoot through her cheek. The man wasn't showing any mercy, he was aiming to kill.

Before he attempted another stab at her, a loud trumpet roared and the bull elephant charged at him. Before he could put up a defense, the poacher was sent sliding across the dirt, and was unconscious. But the elephant wasn't done, he headed towards him and was going to flatten him. What a way to die, by the very thing he had hunted so passionately.

Cleo bolted toward them and stood between her new friend and the poacher she despised. "NO! _NO!_ BACK!" she scolded at the bull. He seemed to understand her in her human form and obeyed. Feeling relieved and grateful to him for sparing the poacher, she grabbed a rope and used it to tie up all the poachers. After phoning the local police to come pick them up, she went to free all the animals.

Cleo was soon reunited with Kaepora, who was now conscious. "You okay?" she asked.

"I'll be fine, I'm still a little tipsy. Hoooo-" He did look a bit drunk from the sedation.

"You may have to avoid flying for awhile. I've got a new friend you can ri-" Something clicked in Cleo's mind. "A new friend..." She turned toward the elephant, Kaepora almost falling off her arm, and realization dawned. "...who's loyalty is as strong as his mind." She placed Kaepora carefully on the ground and put on the fox mask. "Hey," she called. "Can you do me another favor."

* * *

With the bull elephant's help, Cleo was able to push aside both the tree and the boulder, revealing much softer soil underneath to dig. Soon, she found the Fire Coral Earrings and replaced her sapphire studs.

She changed to a fox (the new earrings remained visible) to talk to her friend again. "Thanks for everything, it's been fun!"

"Nae problem lass! So where ya be heiding?"

"I'm going inside Mount Kilimanjaro."

"Really?" He sounded a bit concerned. "Are ya sure ya shuid be gaeing thare?"

"Yeah, I have to. There's something in there I must get."

"Hm, then let me gie ye a word o warning. Thay say that a demon elephant roams the heart o the mountain. I'm nae sure if the story is real or just a legend. But well, ye may need tae be careful doun thare, mind."

"Okay, thanks for telling me. I'll keep an eye out for it."

"I wan't forget ya, Cleo!" the elephant called to her as she left.

"No surprise _there,_" she said to herself. "Hey Kaepora, is it true there's something in there besides the circlet?"

Kaepora, who had finally recovered, answered "I'm pretty sure there's suppose to be something guarding it. Lava alone may not be enough against intruders."

As a fox, Cleo climbed the mountain easily. But it took awhile to get to the cave, there were teetering, rocky pillars she had to hop across, with a bit of help from Kaepora since some of them crumbled the moment she landed on them. They went down into a cavern that looked like it was untouched by humans for a long time (there were african paintings of various animals on the walls), until they hit what appeared to be a dead end. Careful examination revealed a small opening. Again, she couldn't take Kaepora with her.

Still in fox form, Cleo crawled though the narrow tunnel. It wasn't very long before she reached the other side, but already, she was in a fiery place. She could feel the intense heat from the flowing rivers of lava and some of the glowing coal walls, but it wasn't affecting her at all. There were creatures here that could undoubtedly survive, lizalfos, fire bubbles and armos. After braving the flame traps and falling boulders, she found a whip called the Grappling Cobra which she used to swing over the lava or pull off weak stalagmites to create bridges. One stalagmite crashed into some geysers which she utilized as an elevator-like platform to get to higher ground. She let loose a boulder to open up a wall containing hot water to create a rocky raft in the lava river. She rode it to the final cavernous room.

Inside was a narrow hallway, it's walls adorned with tribal paintings of faces, all with looks of fear or anguish. Every way Cleo looked, the hallway seemed to curve as though it might be a circle. She heard booming close by and getting closer, then came an elephant's trumpet, except this sound was far more monstrous. Then she saw the source of the sounds as it appeared from around the curved wall.

**Magma Demon Lord:**  
**Chargnar Firaugn**

Indeed, it _was_ a demon elephant, it's body seem to glow as though it was on fire. The moment it saw Cleo, it charged, she dodged out of the way in time. It ran on all fours, racing round the circular hallway. Cleo tried to follow, but it was too fast, even when she chased it as a fox. It wasn't long before Firaugn came back from the other side and knocked her roughly aside. She spotted an unsteady stalagmite and got an idea. She used her whip to grab and pull it down. It was a little sturdier than she thought and the monster was approaching again. Pulling with all her might, it finally fell across Firaugn's path. It tripped and fell, she ran to slash at it. After receiving several hits, it got back up and was now paying more attention to Cleo. It lashed at her with it's trunk, which had a mouth with rows of sharp teeth on it's end. It breathed and spat flames at her, but she grabbed it with her whip and cut it off, then grabbed one of it's legs to trip it again. Finally, she charged in for the finish.


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

Mr. Willoughby also belongs to me.

* * *

Chapter 12

Firaugn let out one last horrifying blast before collapsing against the wall and was buried in a huge pile of rocks. When Cleo approached it slowly, expecting it to burst right back out, white steam issued from the rubble. It took a particular shape until it became a man made out of smoke, he appeared to be a tribal chieftain. He looked at Cleo and spoke.

"You have shown yourself to me, a mighty warrior, child. When I was human, I brought the circlet here and upon arrival, I was transformed into the creature you have fought. I had sacrificed my mortal form to protect this treasure and only the strongest and bravest can best me. I waited a long time for you and now, for your daring acts as a fighter, you rightfully earn the circlet. Take it now." With a red glow, he summoned Din's Circlet and handed it to Cleo.

"Alright, just one more," Cleo said to herself. One more... and then she'll get the tool to finally defeat Ghirahim. "Thank you."

"Good luck on your journey," the chieftain said one final time before he whisked her out of the mountain in a red column of light.

* * *

"The last circlet, Nayru's Circlet, will be in a small town in Hampshire. If I remember correctly, it'd been kept as a family heirloom, passed from generation to generation. It was kept in secret of course, so no one besides myself knows of it's existence there. Getting this one will be easy, hoo hoo."

"I hope so," Cleo said with a sigh. "This is already getting stressful and I need to get it over with."

When they arrived, it was cold and frosty and Cleo was sure that Jack Frost nipped at her nose. The town was old world-like with houses that are half-modern and half-medieval made of either wood or brick. The place was decorated for the holidays with tinsel, holly and a big christmas tree in the square. People were jostling to do their shopping as seasonal music played on loud speakers (Here Comes Santa Claus).

"So where is this family I'm supposed to meet?" asked Cleo.

"The circlet belongs to the Willoughbys. They will be living in an older house just outside the town."

"You told me that you gave that circlet to their ancestors for safekeeping right? Isn't it possible that they might have moved away, somewhere in the family tree?"

Kaepora shook his head. "They can't, they know full well what they're keeping and how important it is. They'll never move the circlet, unless it's for a good reason."

"Alright, lead the way." Cleo and Kaepora went along a dirt road leading into the countryside. They reached a fork where a mailbox stood with the name "Willoughby". They went a little farther on until they saw a Victorian house. Kaepora sat in a tree while Cleo walked up to the front door that had a burnished brass knocker.

She knocked three times. After several seconds of no response, she knocked again. After another moment she heard shuffling from the other side and the door opened a crack. A wrinkled face peeked through. "Who is it?" said a frail voice.

"Um, hi. I'm Cleo Hayster," she said a little cheerily.

The old man paused, shut the door for a moment (she could hear metal chinking and scraping) and opened it wider. He wobbled forward on his walking stick. In the winter sunlight, Cleo could now see him clearly. She realized that this man was far older than she'd thought, undoubtedly over a hundred. He looked her up and down in curiosity. "Why are you in a costume, young lady?"

"What?"

"Oh dear, is it Halloween already? I could have sworn it was the middle of December."

"It _is_ December, sir."

The old man didn't seem to hear her. "Well then, come in, come in. Let see if we can find you some candy."

Cleo didn't bother telling him she wasn't here for candy, instead she just followed him into the house. The place was a bit musty, like it hadn't been cared for in a good while. She got the impression that this man was the only one living here. "Excuse me," she said a little loudly so he could hear her.

"Hm, what?"

"You _are_ Mr. Willoughby, aren't you?"

"Oh uh, yeah I am." He wasn't curious at that question and Cleo began to wonder if he ever expected anyone to come for the circlet. Soon they were in the living room. She started looking around, trying to find signs or clues to the circlet's hiding place. She walked over to the fireplace where, on top, there were old yellowed photographs. One showed a large family having a picnic. Another showed two twelve year old boys, who looked exactly alike, standing in front of a large ship. A third showed, what she was sure, a young Mr. Willoughby in a soldier's uniform. The old man picked up a bowl of shriveled red berries off the coffee table. "Would you like some dried cranberries?"

"Sorry, I can't. I'm allergic to cranberries," she said with a raised hand.

"Well, I'm sorry. That's all the candy I got."

Cleo let out a patient sigh. "I don't want candy."

He stared. "Then why are you here?"

"Well, Kaepora sent me to retrieve the circlet," Cleo claimed, deciding to get straight to the point.

It took a moment for those words to have any effect on the old man. "The... circlet?" he contemplated out loud. "I haven't heard tell of that in ages." He tried to place the bowl back down, but with weak hands, he accidentally dropped it, spilling cranberries everywhere. "Oh, bugger it!"

"Are you okay?" she asked, trying to step over the mess.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," he said, waving a hand. "Why don't you take a seat while I get my bearings."

Cleo sat down on the sofa while Mr. Willoughby sat in a rocking chair. "Are you by yourself?" she asked.

"Yes,"

"Where's the rest of your family?"

"...All gone."

"Gone? No kids or grandkids?"

"Nah, can't have any, even if I wanted to. I got neutered during World War II. You see, what happened was-"

"I-!" Cleo abruptly interrupted. "-don't want to know!" There was an awkward silence, apart from the ticking of a grandfather clock. "So you're really the last one... I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," said Mr. Willoughby, waving his hand again.

"Listen, about the circlet..."

"Ah, that... Well I don't know how to put it gently, but I'm afraid you came too late. It's not here, Nayru's Circlet."

Cleo groaned, she had almost expected this. It would be too easy, too good to be true. "How long did you _not_ have it?"

"About a century."

Now _that_ was a blow. "Are you serious? What happened to it?"

"Well let's see, where to begin? When I was just a lad, slightly younger than your age, this house was attacked by demons. My papa, who was a game hunter, managed to fend them off. Blasted away their arses, he did. Then he got wounded by a pale man in a diamond patterned suit." Cleo held back her burning questions. "The circlet was still safe, but after the encounter, we knew it could no longer remain here. We heard tell, of a ship that was to head off to America. My twin brother volunteered to take the treasure safely on that ship, so it would be more protected in New York City."

"So it's in New York!" Cleo said in excitement.

Mr. Willoughby frowned. "No... it's not."

Her heart sank. "What do you mean?"

"Unfortunately, the ship had a terrible accident and the circlet is now in the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean... along with my poor brother."

"What's the name of that ship?"

The old man opened his mouth, but then stopped. "... ... ...Uh... ... ... I don't remember."

Cleo nearly fell off the sofa. "What?!"

"I'm sorry it's been so long since I heard that name. Just give me a moment..." He strained his brain for a minute. "I know! It's called the Tintin!... ...No, that's not it... ... I know! It's called the Titania!... ...No, that's not it either... ... Is it called the Titan?... ...No. It's got two Ts though, I'm sure of it."

"Never mind," Cleo interrupted again. She got up. "Thank you for telling me this story. I better go now, I won't bother you anymore." She walked off down the hall to the door. She reached the knob when Mr. Willoughby called out to her.

"Wait, miss Hayster!" Cleo stopped for the old man to catch up with her. He was holding something in his hand. "Here, I want you to have this." She now saw that it was a snowglobe containing a replica of the village they were in. "This was my brother's most treasured possession. I want you to have it."

"Oh no, I can't take that," said Cleo sympathetically.

"I insist young 'un. It'll bring you good luck, the snowglobe. I don't have long to live anyway, I'm too old now. I don't need it anymore." And before Cleo could protest any further, he placed it in her hand.

"...Thanks again."

* * *

"I pretty much know where it is now. How I'll get down there, I haven't a clue." Cleo sat on a bench in the village with Kaepora on her shoulder and was, for the first time, totally stumped.

"It _does_ sound impossible. But we'll find a way for sure."

"Kaepora, how on earth am I supposed to survive underwater in freezing temperatures?"

Kaepora didn't answer, he was stumped too. So they wandered the town for awhile, trying to get some ideas. Nothing occurred to either of them, it would seem that they would never succeed in getting the last circlet and, to Cleo's bitterness, Ghirahim would continue to run free to do more harm. Then they came across an advertisement of a theater show on strange wonders. She decided to check it out, so she sold some fish she'd caught to a market for some pounds and spent them at the ticket booth.

After Cleo entered and took a seat, the curtains parted and a man stepped forward to announce the show. The things they displayed were, indeed, strange and wondrous. They showed off, to the highly interested audience, things like the mummified remains of a fairy, a person who claimed to be a vampire and drank some blood, and some archeological artifacts of jet from Japan that were said to have once been part of a tree imprisoning an ancient demon. Then, for the grand finale, the announcer proclaimed a live captured mermaid. They pushed a large tank on stage, it was covered in a long drape. Then the drape was lifted to reveal the mermaid... except, to Cleo, it really wasn't.

She sat up with a horrified gasp, unable to believe what she was seeing, heedless of people's stares. "That's a Zora!"


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 13

After the show, Cleo managed to find the owner of the Zora. "Excuse me."

The sailor looked at her. "Yeah, what do you want missy?"

"Where did you get that Zora?"

"That what?"

"I mean the mermaid!" she recovered a little impatiently. "Where and how."

"It was a lucky catch!" he said proudly. "I found it during a stormy night. Me and my crew were casting our nets to catch fish over the Atlantic and it ended up on our boat, nearly out cold."

"She's from the Atlantic? I don't understand."

"What's not to understand?"

"It's just..." Cleo tried to choose her words carefully so as not to reveal that she'd seen them before. "She seems alien. I'm not so sure she came from here."

"Well, who cares where it came from. We found it, it's ours now."

"Have you spoken to her?"

"Why should I? It's not human. I don't see why we should be on speaking terms with it."

"Don't you even realize how green she is?"

"So? Isn't that how it normally is?"

"She's sick!" Cleo was starting to get annoyed with him, especially when he kept calling the Zora an "it". "She's not feeling well, she could die!"

"Now I don't know how you could possibly tell that, but its well being is no concern of mine! I'm going to sell it to a science university for a lot of dough, so it doesn't really matter what happens to it. Most likely it'll die anyway."

"But that's cruel! She's a person, not a thing! You can't just sentence her to be cut apart!"

The sailor gave her an angry look. "Now you're getting on my nerves! I don't care about your childish opinions! Now leave before I call the authorities!"

* * *

"A Zora you say?"

"Yeah, that's right! They got a Zora in there and she doesn't look so well!" Cleo was still incensed by all this. "We have to get her outta there."

They waited until nightfall before returning backstage. There were guards patrolling the area with flashlights, if Cleo got caught, she would surely be thrown out. She had to sneak her way past them, sometimes using cardboard boxes to hide under or catwalks to climb over. She came across a guard with a ring of keys, Cleo had noticed a lock on the tank before and would be needing them. She aimed her whip carefully and snatched it away. With the keys in hand, she went to the tank, while continuing to duck between shadows.

Cleo removed the drape from the tank. The Zora was resting on the bottom, looking crestfallen, then noticed Cleo with a look of surprise. Cleo put her finger to her lips. "I'm gonna help you, hold on," she whispered. She tried each key on the lock until she got the right one. The moment the lock made a click... _WHOOOOOOOSH!_

Cleo found herself on the ground, soaked to the skin, with the Zora lying next to her. She heard urgent voices approaching, the huge tidal wave she'd let loose undoubtedly alerted the guards of her presence. "C'MON!" Cleo grabbed the drape and covered the Zora, then started dragging her by the hand. In no time, the guards found them and got out their clubs. Cleo countered with her sword's flat side. After knocking them out, they raced for the exit. But someone stood between them and the door.

"I should'a known you'd have the guts to steal my mermaid!" the sailor shouted in anger. "You better give it back!"

"As if!" Cleo got her sword ready as the man grabbed another sword (although, it was just a stage prop). Cleo held back, knowing it wouldn't be a fair fight if she didn't, but it turned out to be a mistake. That guy knew how to fight and managed to trip her up. But before he could knock her out, the sailor himself was knocked out instead, by a sandbag. Cleo looked up and smiled. Kaepora was above them with rope in his beak. He swooped down onto her shoulder. "Thanks Kae!"

"No problem, hoo hoo!"

As they exited, the sound of police sirens were heard. "We gotta go, now!" Cleo exclaimed. Kaepora became big again and Cleo helped the Zora onto his back. Then they took off just before the police arrived.

The Zora was clinging onto her rescuer very tightly and whimpering, she had obviously never flown before. They soared across the night sky, over dark green fields with occasional farm houses dotting here and there. After a while, they came to the city docks of Southampton.

Glad to be on the ground again, the Zora leapt off Kaepora and into the water. "Wait!" Cleo called out. She hopped onto the dock and ran across it, following the ripples. "Don't go yet! I want to talk to you!" She stopped at the end and the ripples disappeared. Cleo wondered if the Zora swam away without saying good-bye. But then her head emerged, looking directly at Cleo.

_Thank you for saving me kind one_ the Zora said in her native language. Cleo understood it instantly, having once been given lessons by Prince Ralis during one of her previous trips to Hyrule.

_How did you get into this realm?_ Cleo asked.

_What do you mean?_

_Are you not... from Hyrule?_

_I do not understand. What is this Hyrule of which you speak?_

Cleo was taken aback by this. _Never mind. Where do you come from then?_

_I come from Faroronia, an underwater city. There are others like me. One day, I heard a divine voice, calling to me, leading me to the surface. And then I got caught by land dwellers._ A divine voice? Like from a god or goddess? What could this mean? Those were the thoughts racing through Cleo's head. _Then _you_ saved me, even though you are one of them. If there is anything at all I can do to repay you, you may only ask._

_There is one thing. Is there a way I can survive underwater for long periods of time?_ Cleo asked, amazed by her own sudden idea.

_...For that, I must return to the city. Please wait here, I will be back by morning._ And before Cleo could say anything else, the Zora was gone.

"I don't think it was a lucky coincidence that we met her," said Kaepora, who also knew the language. "If what she said was true, the gods may have arranged this fateful meeting. They may be helping us, knowing it would be impossible to get to the sunken ship otherwise."

"You really think so, huh?" Cleo said before she suddenly felt sleepy and nodded off.

* * *

The phonograph played "I Think of Home and Mother When It's Christmas Time" as Mr. Willoughby sat facing the fireplace, reading a history book on ancient Central American civilization. His hearing aid picked up a digital chime over the music. Even though he hadn't heard it in about a hundred years, he distinctly remembered that sound. Suddenly feeling tense and alert, he got up as fast as his old body would allow and turned toward the source.

"My, my, my. It seems only yesterday when we last met and you were a mere boy barely out of his baby fat. The decades haven't been kind to you, have they?"

"YOU!" Dropping his book and his cane, Mr. Willoughby reached up and grabbed a shotgun from the wall and pointed it at the diamond obsessed intruder. "Get out of my house you bloody nutter!"

"Oh, I'll leave, after you tell me where you sent that, what's-her-name? Chloe? Cleo? You know, it's just so grievously hard to catch up with her. It baffles me beyond words that she stays a skip and a step ahead of me."

"I'm not telling you anything! That girl is just as important as the circlet you tried to steal!"

"_I know,_" Ghirahim said in an ominous tone. "Why do you think I'm after her in the first place?"

"You want me to add polka dots to your diamonds, because I will!" Mr. Willoughby was becoming braver by the second. His old soldier self coming back. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to stop his foe. Ghirahim looked past the old man and noticed something on the top of the fireplace. Mr. Willoughby fired his gun and the bullet flew right through a flurry of diamonds.

Before he could figure out where Ghirahim was... he stopped breathing. It took an elongated second to realize why he couldn't. He felt a presence from behind... he felt a sharp, white hot pain on his throat... his voice disabled before he could scream from that pain... his body rapidly felt cold... and he fell... his sight faded before he hit the ground.

Ghirahim paid no attention to his handywork, instead, looking right at one of the photographs that had caught his eye, the one with the twin boys in front of the Titanic. He smiled pleasantly. "Thank you most kindly for your cooperation. I think I have all the scuttlebutt I need." And he disappeared as the music played on.

* * *

_... ... ...Cleo... ...Cleo... the time is coming Cleo... ...time to awaken..._

A voice was calling to her, a voice she hadn't heard before... it sounded strange... sounded... alien...

_...It's time Cleo... ... you must awaken..._

Alien... except... it was also...

... ... "Cleo wake up. She's back." Cleo opened her eyes groggily, she was sleeping under the drape she had taken when rescuing the Zora, although she didn't remember covering herself before falling asleep. She looked at Kaepora who was pointing his wing at something in the water.

_I am sorry for taking so long._ The Zora had returned. _It took awhile to find it and sneak back out of my home. My parents were worried for me._ She held something up, something dangling from her clasped hand.

Cleo reached out and took it from her. It looked like a pendant. _This is a scale, is it not?_

_Yes. It is called the Scale of Faron. Is is said that it helps the wearer swim faster and hold the breath longer by a hundred times. I will let you borrow it for awhile._

_Thank you very much! I will give this back when I can, all right?_

_Farewell, I hope we meet again._ The Zora sunk under, then leapt up like a dolphin and dived back down with a splash.

Cleo looked at the Scale of Faron again... Scale of Faron... She started remembering her cat Faron back at home, who must be sorely missing her owner by now. And then she thought of her dad, who she left behind to worry for her. And Finn, her brother... did he even know what Cleo was doing out here right now? Did dad call him, tell him what happened? Would he suspect his sister was doing something important or urgent, or was he still oblivious to all this?

"So, are we going?" Kaepora's question echoed in her ears. Despite all those thoughts, she knew there was no turning back the way she came. She'd made her decision a long time ago. She knew that after it was all over, her life would never be the same. A sacrifice Cleo had to make going down this path, and as she climbed on Kaepora and took off, she was hoping it would all be worth it.


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

Tim Willoughby also belongs to me.

* * *

Chapter 14

"Uh, why are we on the ocean again?"

"Because our boss told us to! How many times do I have to tell you! According to him, she'll be coming this way." Oi and Ollo, and several other bokoblins were on a small ship with a cannon attached, which was floating on the sea amongst some iceburgs. They were currently in between two large icebergs, to stay out of sight. "As soon as she passes by, we come out and fire at her! Got it?"

"Oh, okay. Whatever you say bro."

"Now, any sign of her yet?" Oi asked Ollo. His brother picked up a telescope and looked through.

"I uh, see a speck in the distance."

"Is it our target?"

"I don't know, it's too far away."

"That's because you're looking through the wrong end! Gimme that!" Oi snatched it from Ollo and took a peek himself. "There she is! She's coming!" He collapsed the telescope. "Okay Ollo, get ready to fire! She's now in range, so let's com-" BANG! "No, not now! We're still not outside yet, dummy!"

"Oops." The cannon ball hit the wall of one of the icebergs, causing it to tumble.

"ABANDON SHIP!" Oi and Ollo jumped into the water just in time, but the others were not so lucky. Soon the boat was flattened by falling ice as the pair dived to avoid it. After everything settled back down, the pair surfaced and saw Cleo and Kaepora already flying away.

"O-oi, I'm f-f-f-freez-zing c-c-c-cold," Ollo chattered.

"Sh-sh-sh-shut up! Th-this is your-r f-f-f-falt!" They were shaking in the water like there was no tomorrow.

"S-s-sorry b-bro."

"G-g-good thing-g-g we-e got a su-submarine in c-case w-we ne-ed b-b-back up or-r-r-r-rescue."

"I-is that it th-there?" They saw something black moving toward them, although it was moving too fast to be a sub. It soon became clear that it wasn't, as a great big orca lunged out at them.

They screamed and swam for their lives. "THE SUBMARINE IS A TRICK! THE SUBMARINE IS A TRICK!" They managed to get on top of a smaller iceberg and started panting. "Great, now what?"

"...I don't know..."

* * *

Cleo looked at her cellphone carefully for the coordinates in her GPS application. She hadn't used it often other than the time she sent a text message to her dad or listening to music to pass the time riding on Kaepora, which she was doing now as she watched the map. The cellphone made a blip sound. "Kae, hold up!"

Kaepora screeched to a halt in mid-air, almost causing Cleo to fall off. "Are we there?"

"Yeah, we're right above it." She looked down at the sea below. She couldn't see anything under the surface, she wondered how deep it was. "Let's go lower," Cleo commanded.

Kaepora floated down until they were just above the water. "With the scale on, you'll be able to hold your breath for more than an hour. But time will not be the only thing against you. The water will be terribly cold, hypothermia could set in if you dawdle."

"Right." Cleo stood up as best she could on Kaepora. She made sure the knot on the string was on tight. "Wish me luck." Then she jumped off and plunged into the water. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, it wasn't just plain cold, it was agonizingly cold and she was seized up for a moment in freezing pain. It took a minute for her to recover from the shock before completely submerging herself underwater. Ignoring the continuous chill, Cleo began swimming down toward her destination.

She was able to get to the bottom fairly quickly (probably around ten minutes) thanks to her newfound strength from the scale. Cleo hit the sea bed and looked around, she could see the faint outline of the ship. She swam closer and closer, the Titanic looming into full view. She found a hole to crawl through and was soon inside.

The whole place was very rusty and covered in coral. She knew this would take awhile to find the circlet down here in this mess. Suddenly, Cleo ran into a shark. It was small, but it could still be dangerous and it was swimming toward her. She gave it a good whack on the nose, causing it to panic and frantically swim the other way as though Cleo was a larger predator. It hit the ceiling in its haste, making a hole in the process. Something strange fell from it, it appeared to be a bubble that was falling fast like a solid object instead of floating up like it normally would and she noticed there was a tiny object inside it. After it landed and formed into a half bubble, she took a closer look at the interior and could see that it was a blue crystal shard.

Cleo reached out to it, expecting the bubble to pop the moment she touched it, but her hand went right through. She noticed how perfectly dry her hand was and the carpet the shard was resting on was not only dry too, but also plush and red, like it had never rotted. She picked it up and the bubble was lifted with it. The carpet suddenly changed, now it was as ruined as the rest of the ship. Cleo looked at the shard again and started remembering something she had read in the travel guide. She gave it a tap and the bubble disappeared, her hand wet again. She tapped it again and the bubble returned, the water dispersed. She then realized that it was a Timeshift Stone that could create a field that turns back time.

Hoping it would make the search easier, Cleo used it on various spots to see more clearly. She found a journal that read that a secret cargo was onboard the Titanic and you have to use a certain type of key and insert a password to open a hidden room. The clue to the password is "cattle". After some hard thinking and a little exploration, she came across an upright piano and found the answer. Holding the shard over the ivories, she tried several variations of the notes B, E, E, and F, until the wall moved, revealing a doorway. She was a bit disappointed that it wasn't the circlet, but was sure she was getting closer. Inside was a really big Timeshift Stone and a corroded clawshot.

The clawshot had a hatch which Cleo opened with difficulty. The space underneath was very small and she decided to put the shard in. The clawshot became new and usable again. She used it on the big crystal and the entire ship was covered in the time field, restoring everything to its former glory.

With the Titanic back in its prime, Cleo continued her search (she later found a new bottle). But now aquatic monsters were invading the place. Thankfully, the clawshot was pretty effective against them. After searching in places she couldn't reach before she got her new item, she thought she saw another human. She could definitely see a shadow of a human moving away, but how could there be someone else here? Cleo followed it and briefly saw a boy disappearing into another room.

"Hello?" she had called out. "Who are you?" The boy didn't answer, he just kept going. He seemed to be leading her back to the hidden room, then once inside, he just stood there, waiting, apparently for _her_. She approached the boy who looked at her expectantly. "I know you... I saw you in the photo... You're Mr. Willoughby's twin brother, aren't you?"

"...Yeah... you know Tom huh? My name's Tim..."

"Do you have the circlet?"

"Yes..." Tim placed his hand on his chest. "It's in here..."

Cleo stared. "You ate it?"

"I had to... By the time I woke up after the Titanic started sinking, almost half of the deck I was on was completely underwater. I got confused... and scared... I panicked. Then, I'm not sure how it happened, but when I tried to find my way up on the higher decks, the walls and ceiling just... suddenly collapsed, trapping me." Cleo, of course, knew how it happened. That must've been when the whole ship snapped in half like a fragile twig. "It was too heavy, I couldn't free myself and the water was rising fast. I then realized that I was done for... The circlet... was the reason why I was here. I was to protect it at all cost... And to do so, I did the only thing I could... before I drowned."

"But you're alive again now, the Timeshift Stone brought you back."

Tim smiled, but it faltered. "Yes, but I'm only alive as long as this crystal is activated. I... can't rejoin the world, even if I want to. Speaking of which, how is my brother? You did meet with him, didn't you?"

Cleo felt very saddened by this. "Yeah, I did... I don't know how to put this, but he's pretty old now, about 112."

"...That's what I thought... The Timeshift Stone was another family heirloom, so I know how it works. It was brought along because it might be useful and by a twist of fate, it _has_ been useful. I've been waiting a long time, as a restless ghost, for someone like you to come. And now that you're here, I can finally move on... Just do me one favor... could you give a message to Tom?"

"Of course."

"Tell him-" But whatever Tim wanted to say to his long lost twin was forever going to be a mystery to Cleo. Before he could say what it was, another voice interrupted their conversation... and it was a voice she recognized with a chill, that was colder than the waters, going down her spine.

"What is there to tell to a dead man? _Both_ of you are dreadfully behind the times."

Both Cleo and Tim turned toward the source of that voice. It was Ghirahim. Cleo's eyes narrowed in anger. "_You!_"

"You're... you're the beast that hurt my papa!" Tim uttered in fear.

"What did you mean by that, Ghirahim?" demanded Cleo.

He didn't answer at first, he just gave an eery chuckle and strolled over to the crystal and rested his elbow on it. "I must admit, he still had plenty of spunk left for such a stale raisin. But in the end, he was just as fragile as any antique."

Tim looked grief-stricken. "No... it can't be..."

"You son of a-!" Cleo started in outrage.

"Manners child!" Ghirahim teasingly scolded with a disapproving look. "You may act tough, but you're still only flesh and blood. If you truly believe in your self deceiving heart that finding the last circlet of the goddesses will help you fulfill the prophecy, you're sadly mistaken."


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 15

There was a moment of confused silence as Cleo tried to take in what Ghirahim had just said. Did she hear right? "What are you talking about? What prophecy?!"

He laughed again. "Don't play clueless with me little girl. We both know why you're here... not that it will make the slightest difference. Foolish child, you should have stayed home and played with your toys and your video games like a good girl." Slowly, all the coolness he'd showed was vanishing. "But _noooo,_ you have to be a nuisance and play hero and make me _LOSE_ MY _COMPOSURE!_" Ghirahim lashed out, suddenly deranged, causing the kids to flinch. Then, just as suddenly, he calmed back down. The changes were disturbing. "But I'm perfectly able to forgive and forget... under one condition..." He held his hand out to the glaring Cleo. "Hand the boy's and your two circlets over to me and I will spare you a second time."

"_This_ is all you're getting from me!" Cleo growled, giving him an extremely rude hand sign.

"Bold as brass as ever... Such a pity. Once more, I am left with no choice." Cleo pulled out her sword upon hearing this. Ghirahim wagged his finger at her. "T't't't't, now you're just being impudently reckless. I'm not going to fight you this time. No. I'll summon you a playmate instead. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to kick my legs up and be in my zen mode as I watch an exquisite, dramatic scene of you being mauled to death and then devoured as the icy dark water turns red. That will definitely brighten my day." Then he snapped his fingers and a dagger came out of nowhere. It flew not at Cleo or Tim, but the Timeshift Stone.

Everything changed instantly. The Titanic returned to it's wrecked state, the whole place filled with freezing water. Cleo turned around and saw Tim crumple, as a ragged skeleton, before he could shout in surprise. Cleo turned back toward Ghirahim only to see a splash of diamonds in his place. There was a loud bang as the whole ship lurched and fell over. She was sure something as big as the Titanic rammed into it. Then, a gigantic fish crashed it's way through the walls forcing her to retreat, it gobbled up Tim before she could do anything. It chased after her until they were out in the open where she was to face it head on.

**Green-Eyed Colossus of the Deep:**  
**Leviathan**

The sea beast was made of stone, covered with dark green grass-like fur and it's startling eyes glowed in the gloom. It lunged at Cleo again and she tried to hit it with her sword, but to no effect. She narrowly avoided being chomped on and, up close, saw something bright on its belly. She clawshot onto the side and clung onto its fur. She crawled her way across the body (she paused a few times when the creature tried to shake her off) until she reached the spot of light. It looked like a sigil, she stabbed it a few times until it disappeared. Leviathan was in terrible pain, but still didn't die. It managed to throw her off and unleashed a school of smaller fish after her. After she dealt with them, Cleo got back onto her target. She found the second sigil on its forehead and, trying not to lose her grip from all that bucking, plunged the sword repeatedly. Finally, it fell to the sea bed with a high-pitched cry and broke apart like ancient stone.

Cleo let herself float gently down among the rubble and looked around, her eyes laying upon a small skull. It was all that was left of Tim. She felt a pang of grief shoot through her, then it was gone when Tim appeared before her, almost startling her. Was she hallucinating? He gave no words, he just smiled and, with a blue glow, he summoned Nayru's Circlet and handed it to Cleo. She looked at Tim again in time to see him fade away into nothingness. A blue light surrounded her and lifted her up toward the surface.

Her head burst out of the water, breathing in fresh air. "Hey!" a voice called out. Cleo looked up and saw Kaepora flapping above her.

Cleo held the circlet up. "I got it, I got it!"

"That's good... I was beginning to worry for you. Akairo has been telling me what's been happening down there during your search... About that boy..."

"...Tim is alright. I know he is..." She thought about him again and about his twin... separated... like herself and her mother... because of Ghirahim... She will not stand for this. "Let's go Kaepora... we need to finish this." Kaepora nodded and lifted her out of the sea.

And as they head back to the Bermuda Triangle, Cleo pulled out the snowglobe and stared at it. Again, she thought she was hallucinating, she saw two tiny boys, completely identical, inside the globe, waving up at her and disappearing as they passed behind a miniature tree.

* * *

They traveled to Bermuda island, Puerto Rico, and came back to Miami to place the circlets on the goddess statues. After the last circlet, (Farore's Circlet) was returned to its appropriate place, the statue started glowing. Miles away the other two statues glowed in unison and then, in an alarming burst, three columns of light shot up into the sky and formed a wall. Within the triangle, glowing lines formed into a spell circle and activated without the need of an incantation. And when the largest, brightest, most astonishing portal opened in the center... it suddenly stopped... everything stopped... the lines, the walls of light, all gone.

Cleo just stood there, staring out on the empty horizon, totally dumfounded. "That's it?! Is that all there is!? One fricken huge portal only open for three seconds!"

"You are being hasty!" Kaepora scolded. "We weren't going into the portal. The tool we seek has been summoned to us somewhere in the very center. You just can't see it yet."

"Please tell me I'm not going down in the ocean again! I'm still not fully dry yet!"

"It's not at the bottom, it's on land, a chunk of Hylian soil has been brought over to your world. That is where it lies, waiting."

"I don't see any land there... but I guess I will soon. I'm ready, take me to it."

As they soared over the ocean, sure enough, Cleo could see an island that she knew wasn't supposed to be there. It was entirely covered in thick deep woods surrounded by rocky canyon walls. They landed on a cliff that had a cave entrance, Cleo stood before the cave and had a sudden case of deja vu and when she went through into the forest, she was sure she had been here before. She heard a faint shuffle and thought she saw movement. She called out to whoever might be here but there was no answer, she had a feeling that someone was watching her though.

Then she reached some ruins, ruins Cleo now recognized. "I know this place... I've been here before!" She ran down a path she now remembered and found her way into the very heart of the place, into the demolished chamber of the Temple of Time.

Cleo stopped dead when she noticed that someone was there already, someone kneeling before something with her back to her, quietly singing... "..._and before you a path shall open, and a heavenly song you shall hear..._"

"...Zelda?"

The woman stopped singing, got up and turned around to see who had spoken. Indeed, it was Princess Zelda. "Who-?..." She stared at Cleo for a moment. "Oh! Cleo, it's you!... I almost didn't recognize you in that outfit. For a moment, I thought you were Link."

"What are you doing here?"

"Well... I was praying. You see, I had a dream recently... that you were in danger and facing it without fear... In your hand, you were holding a familiar weapon. So I came here to the Temple of Time. I was hoping to find answers here and... help you."

Guilt walloped Cleo in the stomach. "Uh... listen Zel..." she tried to say, uncomfortably. "About last time-"

Kaepora flew in. "I'd hate to interrupt this discussion, but don't you have a sword to wield?"

Cleo looked up. "What sword?"

"Oh for the goddesses' sake! What have you been gathering circlets for?"

Of course, Cleo had momentarily forgotten about why she was here. She now took notice of what Zelda had been kneeling before: The Master Sword. Without questioning this, she stepped forward, knowing somehow it would all come to this. Slowly reaching out to the hilt, Cleo's heart hammered in anticipation, her hands placed. Suddenly, a warm feeling washed over her, she wasn't sure why, but the moment she touched it... she felt at home. Cleo tugged, and the blade slid loose. She pulled it all the way out of the pedestal and held it up in the air, catching the sun's rays, reflected brilliantly.

"The Master Sword has accepted you!" Zelda said ecstatically. Cleo stared at her new weapon in wonder before sheathing it. "Listen Cleo, there's something you may need to know. I know you wish to seek out Ghirahim for what he's done. But as I tried to find out more about him here in this temple, I discovered something crucial, something that may be connected to your past. It involved a prophecy."

Cleo whipped around at her. "Where did you learn _that_?"

"Well... the Master Sword spoke to me."

"Really? How does...!" Cleo abruptly stopped when she noticed someone behind Zelda who wasn't there a second ago. She quickly withdrew the sword in fury. "YOU AGAIN?!" Startled, both Zelda and Kaepora turn quickly to see at whom she was shouting.

"Honestly, are you going to blow your top like a champagne cork every time I make an appearance?" Ghirahim was sitting on a wall, his legs crossed and his head resting on his hand.

"You know, for once I'm glad you're here! Now that I have the Master Sword, I'm going to finish you once and for all!"

But Ghirahim just made a cruel laugh. Not the kind of response Cleo expected. "Possessing the weapon is not the same as possessing the skill. You're still insignificant compared to me!"

"I've learned, I've gotten stronger since we last fought! I'm ready for you this time!"

Ghirahim was examining his fingernails, hardly paying attention. "Well, as much as I would love to torment you once more, I've got more important matters to attend to." He hopped off the wall and teleported before landing on the ground. Cleo quickly looked around, trying to find him, and heard a terrified yelp. She turned to Zelda who was now being held by the demon lord.


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 16

"NO!" Cleo screamed in livid panic. Kaepora swooped at Ghirahim, only to get hit by a flyaway dagger. Thankfully, he was barely wounded. "LET HER GO!"

"Or what, threaten me some more?" Ghirahim snidely remarked as he kept a tight hold on the struggling princess.

"NO THREATS! NO BLUFFING! I WILL _KILL_ YOU!"

"You've certainly got more spice than sugar, but everything nice, I've failed to see in you. Are you truly intent on falling to my level to destroy me?"

"I'm _nothing_ like you! I'll _never_ be like you!" she snarled.

Ghirahim made a huff. "Now don't be so sure little Cleo... You and I... are more similar deep in our soul than you believe us to be."

"What _are_ you talking about?! That makes no sense!"

"Impudent child! I tried to be fair with you... but I will no longer tolerate your cheeky behavior. There will be no more spankings for the likes of you, your lifeline has been cut short." As he talked, an army of bokoblins swarmed in and started to surround Cleo. He moved away behind his minions.

"What are you going to do with Zelda?"

"I don't think that will matter to you once you're spread all over the place like jelly. Kill her," he commanded the bokoblins.

Zelda managed to remove her face from his hand long enough to shout "Run Cleo! Get out-!"

It all happened so fast. They all charged in at her at once and Cleo had little time to think. Surrounded, way outnumbered, she slashed away wildly in her attempt to survive the onslaught. Both Ghirahim and Zelda had already vanished out of sight. All she could do now was keep fighting and get out of this place. The Master Sword was much stronger than her regular sword, taking less effort and fewer strikes than a normal weapon. But the odds were stacked against her, there were still too many, even after she managed to take down thirty. It was just a matter of time before she exhausted herself and then she would be finished.

Just when she was overlaid with scratches and bruises and panting hard from all the struggle, there was a loud angry screech and the owl swooped down, catching the bokoblin nearest Cleo in his talons, tearing it down. After it died, Kaepora divebomed the others, forcing them to retreat in a panic. Then he turned to Cleo and lifted her off the ground.

The bokoblins fired arrows at them, but Kaepora swerved around the projectiles as he soared swiftly through the trees, holding tight to Cleo. After forcing his way past more bokoblins and through woodland, they were finally out into the open sea. His small wound jabbed sharply, he had strained himself to get them both out and he nearly fell in the water.

"Just drop me!" Cleo shouted above the roaring waves. "Let go now!" She felt the talons loose their grip and she landed with a splash like a ragdoll. After she surfaced, she saw a very unnatural glow enveloped the entire island. A diamond shaped field took form and surrounded the place. "No! Zelda!" Cleo swam to the wall of the field but could not get through. "Zelda!" she screamed again. She raised the Master Sword and gave several good hard swings at it. It did nothing, not a single scratch. "No! No! NO!" Cleo hollered in frustration, hitting three more times with each "no". "Zelda! ZELDA!"

"Cleo, it's no use!" Kaepora called out, trying to stay airborne. "This isn't working! The sword's not powerful enough! We have to recuperate!"

Cleo banged her fist hard on the wall. "Damn it!" she choked, breathing hard, trying to fight back her tears.

"Come on." Kaepora plucked her back out of the water and carried her to a small caribbean island a short distance away. He dropped her gently onto the sand and she just let herself flop down on her back.

Cleo looked at the Master Sword for a moment and then tossed it aside. No tears were shed, her feelings were beyond that, she felt worse, felt grave disappointment. She had been so close and yet so far, and now she'd lost one of her dear friends.

Kaepora sat next to her, gave her a sympathetic look, and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry about all this."

She looked back at him. "You said the sword's not powerful enough. Why is that?"

"The Master Sword cannot keep its light forever. It depletes over time."

"The light's gone _again_?"

"Yes. It's like one of those cellphones you use, it needs to recharge now and again."

"How am I suppose to do that?"

"There is a way, but it will take some time."

"But what about Zelda? What if we don't have time?"

"I don't think Ghirahim intends to hurt her. If he wanted her dead, he would've killed her already before our very eyes. He's planning something with her, I'm sure. Something big."

There was a moment of silence before Cleo sat up a bit and spoke again. "Both Ghirahim and Zelda mentioned a prophecy. What _is_ it exactly?"

Another pause and then, "That answer lies in the same place where we can also solve your sword problem, with the ancient Mayans."

"Aren't... the Mayans extinct? What do they have to do with Hyrule?"

"...This is something you'll have to see for yourself. Now, before we go, there is something you'll need." Kaepora reached under his wing and pulled out a white, slender object.

Cleo took it in her hand and examined it. It was a flute with a blue feather attached at the foot. "What's this for?"

"This is called the Spirit Piccolo, made from the fallen tusk of the Wind Fish. It will help in reviving the sword's power."

Cleo nodded and put it away in her backpack, then got up to get her sword.

* * *

As they traveled to their destination, Cleo fiddled with the piccolo a little, trying various tunes. She was playing Saria's song when they arrived in Mexico.

A Chinese man was checking his map when a shadow loomed over him. He looked up in time to see something huge soar overhead. "Wa-?! What was that?" he exclaimed. He saw it land behind an orchard and he decided to go check it out. He rounded the trees and stopped, a bit confused. Instead of a plane as he had thought, there was instead, a girl with an owl on her shoulder. "Uh, excuse me!" he called out.

Cleo had slid off Kaepora after they landed. He'd changed back to normal size and hopped onto her shoulder. He was about to speak when they heard a voice. They turned toward the source of that voice and saw the Chinese man. He walked up to them. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Did you see a plane?"

"What plane?"

"There was a plane just now. Did you not see it? I thought I saw it land here."

"Uh..." She now realized he meant _them_. They hadn't noticed him on the ground, thinking the place was isolated. "There's no plane here, I'm just as stumped as you." Upon closer look, she saw the man had a couple of bags and some tools. Recognizing the gear, she figured that he was an archeologist. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know where I can find any Mayan temples would you?"

"Ah, that is exactly why _I_ am here, I came to do research. I can take you to the place if you like."

"Okay," Cleo shrugged. She followed the Chinese archeologist to a place called Chichen Itza.

"So what brings _you_ here? Are you on a trip?"

"Well... actually I'm here the same as you. Doing research... in a way."

"In a way?" he gave her a curious look. "Are you some kind of Hogwarts student?"

Cleo couldn't help but laugh. "No, he's just a companion."

"Well, speaking of research, I heard about another group of archeologists digging here seven years ago. They were trying to learn more about the ancient calendar when they vanished suddenly."

"Really? What happened?"

"I do not know... They have not been heard of since... so just be careful."

"Hmm... Listen, I'm gonna go look around, if it's all the same to you."

"Yeah, okay..." Cleo turned to leave when he noticed something. "What is that on your back?"

"Huh?"

"Is that a sword?"

"It's just a tool," she quickly explained.

"Strange... it looks familiar... Never mind, go on with your business."

As soon as they parted ways, Cleo started thinking about what the guy had said. "Hey Kae, you know those archeologists disappearing seven years ago... That's the same year my mother died... do you think it's just a coincidence?"

"Hoo Hoo? What are you implying?"

"Well I..."

"What are you doing here, Cleopatra?!"

Both Cleo and Kaepora nearly jumped out of their skins. She spun around and was face to face with the guy she never thought she'd run into.

"Joseph?!"

"Man, this _is_ a small world! What's with the getup and the owl?"

"Grr, get lost Joseph! I don't want to deal with you right now!"

"Why are you here anyway? I thought I heard you say you would go somewhere that isn't Mexico."

"That's none of your beeswax!"

"I'm just asking, sheesh!" Joseph scoffed, folding his arms.

Cleo sighed. "Look, I just can't explain, okay? It's... complicated."

He shrugged. "Well, whatever... Listen, during this trip, I've been thinking... that maybe we should start over."

"What? You want us to start over?"

"Uh yeah..." She gave him a weird, skeptical look. "What? Can't a guy get a second chance? Here." He held out his hand.

"Is this another trick?"

"No tricks, I swear!" He definitely sounded sincere.

"But... why-" CRASH! A sudden loud noise caught their attention and they looked to see what caused it. It was a bokoblin, wearing a green cap, that had just fallen out of a nearby tree.

"What the hell?!" Joseph shouted.

"Way to go Ollo! You blew our cover again!" Another bokoblin, with a blue cap, hopped down from the same tree and laughed. "You think you can get away from us, huh girly?"

"_Oh no,_ not you two again!" Cleo groaned.

"You _know_ these guys?" Joseph asked incredulously.

"I hope you're ready for some more hurt! We, the bokoblin brothers are goi-" Oi paused to pull Ollo up off the ground and on his feet. "-are going to give you a beating you'll never forget!"

"Yeah, exactly..." said Ollo a little dazed.

"On the contrary, it's _you_ who will be getting the beating of a lifetime..." an elderly voice said out of nowhere. All of them turned around and saw an old woman standing next to a traveling wagon.


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 17

"Goddess grandma! Where did _you_ come from?" Oi asked bewilderedly. "Can't you see we're busy? Buzz off!"

"Yeah, buzz off!" Ollo agreed.

The old woman smiled pleasantly. "Not very bright are you? But then again, when one mind is split in two, so would intelligence."

"... ...Uh Oi, what's she talking about?"

Oi was also stumped at this. Then his face lit up. "Ollo, go hold her hostage!"

"What?"

"What do you mean 'what'? An old helpless lady is standing right in front of us! Go get her!"

"Oh, okay. Whatever you say bro." But before Ollo could take another step, both Cleo and Joseph stepped in between him and the woman.

"Just who do you think you are, picking on an old woman?" Cleo shouted at them.

"For once, I agree. That is _low!_" Joseph scoffed.

"Well guess what? We're bokoblins, we're mean, we're the bad guys!"

"Yeah, and we're gonna kill you to death! Right Oi?"

"Now now, Ollo. We don't want to hog all the fun, not since we're bringing a friend along. Ohai! Come out and play!" As soon as Oi was done calling, the sound of heavy footsteps was heard and the ground shook slightly with each booming stomp. A huge, hulking, bulbous moblin, that was twice as tall as the kids (and just as wide as he was tall) appeared before them. Ohai looked at them with a blank expression and grunted. It carried a long spear and a big wooden shield.

"Oh boy!" Cleo gasped. "This is going to be tough."

"You're not seriously thinking of fighting that thing, are ya?" Joseph asked, totally stunned.

"I've faced bigger."

"What? You did _not!_"

Oi gave the command. "Ohai, go smash! Smash, smash, smash!" Ohai immediately obeyed and lumbered foward, it's low cries were a mix between a growl and a squeal.

Kaepora took off as Cleo withdrew her sword. "What are you doing?!" Joseph called, but she wasn't listening. With Kae's guidance, Cleo got past the moblin's huge shield by running up it and over the beast. While it tried to look for her, it got attacked from behind. Cleo herself got hit, twice throughout the battle. Even with the Master Sword at hand, it took quite a few strikes to kill him. Finally, it fell with a huge thud and no longer moved.

As she panted from the hard battle, Cleo heard a yelp and she looked to see the old woman being held by the bokoblin brothers. Oi let out a laugh of triumph. "We outsmarted you for once! While you were busy with your fancy swings, we snuck up and nabbed her!"

"Yeah, what are you gonna do _now_ blondie?... Urk!" Ollo suddenly fell.

"Wha-what happened?!" Oi turned around in time to see Joseph knock him out with his wooden katana.

"Take that, loud mouths!" Cleo stared at him for a moment. "You're welcome," he said, wryly. Cleo smiled.

The old woman stepped forward. She was a native south american, with white braids and an aztecan patterned shawl. She looked to each of the kids in turn. "Both of you have shown true courage. Cleo especially."

"Huh? How do you know my name?"

"My name is Emetaly, and I have this unique ability to know things."

"What do you mean 'know things'? How?"

"I just know. I cannot explain it. I've always been able to, since birth. Why don't you come into my wagon? I have coffee and tea with me."

"Uh, no thanks. I don't have any money."

Emetaly made a merry laugh. "Don't worry about it, it's on me. After all, you both saved my life."

"Coffee sounds good," said Joseph. He turned to Cleo. "Say, while we're drinking, you can tell me whatever little adventure you've been having the last few days, right?" Cleo opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. "Look, I know you're up to something and whether or not you're gonna tell me, I'll find out one way or another." She scoffed as Joseph followed Emetaly into the wagon.

* * *

Cleo Hayster... you've come a long way...

You've been through so much... worked, fought, struggled so hard to get here...

Your journey started with one decision on where to go... and it led you to the one who has changed your life...

You were forced to leave your father behind and travel to distant lands, farther then you had gone before to find the answer...

Although you have succeeded in gaining the weapon to defeat evil, your quest is far from over...

But you are strong and you will become stronger with time... but strength alone won't always be enough...

You still have a lot to learn... not just about what you need to do, but also about yourself...

And you're not alone... Kaepora is with you, and so is Joseph, the boy who has been your greatest rival and now wants to make amends...

The road ahead will be rough, the hardships more difficult than what you've faced so far...

But as long as you have unwavering courage, an enduring spirit, and a noble heart... there's nothing you can't do...

You may not clearly know why you are here or what you're really fighting for...

Your only clue now... is the mysterious prophecy... that may hold the answers...

As soon as you finish your coffee, you will start your adventure again... and hopefully finish what you started, no matter how long it takes...

Cleo Hayster... ...don't ever give up...

* * *

"Do you really expect me to believe that there is another world, and you actually go there on regular visits?" Joseph asked. "It sounds far fetched to me."

"Look," Cleo said a bit impatiently. "You asked, I basically told you the whole story. I don't care whether or not you really believe as long as you don't blab to the whole school."

"It's crazy. And not just the story either, you're also willing to follow an old woman around some ruins because you had some feeling."

"Well, I didn't ask you to come along. Besides, Emetaly is special, I can tell. She might be able to help." Indeed, they were following the old woman to one of the old Mayan temples. Kaepora was flying above, keeping an eye out for any more intruders.

They all stopped at the biggest temple in the whole area. Cleo and Joseph looked up at it's magnitude and then at Emetaly. "Cleo," she said. "You might want to bring out your sword."

"My sword?" Cleo withdrew it and noticed something strange. The golden diamond at the crossguard was blinking, she remembered something about blinking with the Master Sword and the only equivalent to that is dowsing. She pointed it around the temple and the gem started flickering faster and faster. When the tip pointed at one particular spot on the wall, the gem glowed bright and she heard a voice in her head, a voice that seemed familiar, as though from a distant memory. _Hold the sword skyward and swing,_ it said. Cleo did as she was told and, for the first time, made a skyward strike. A beam shot at the spot and, in a flash of light, revealed a small opening.

"Whoa!" Joseph gaped. "What just happened?!"

Kaepora was watching intently from a branch. Cleo pulled out her fox mask. "Joseph, try not to freak out." She put it on and turned into a fox.

"Okay, I'm freaking out!"

Ignoring his major confusion, she crawled into the hole. To her surprise, she hit a dead end, but there _is_ something there, though. Because it was too dark to see, she used her nose and she picked up the scent of vegetation and more natural gunpowder. She backed up until she was out again and took off the mask. "There's bomb flowers in there, but I can't pick 'em, not without setting them off in my face. I think we need something that can do so from a safe distance."

Emetaly smiled. "I knew _these_ might be needed." She was carrying a pack and she reached in and pulled out something. "These are stored in my wagon for just such an occasion."

"What do you mean?" Cleo asked.

"Bombchus, they're very useful. Unlike the ones made in the past, that just go off in one direction, the ones I have are controlled with this." She gave Cleo an object that looked like a gameboy, rectangle shaped with buttons, but there was no screen. "Just set one down and take control from here. But be careful not to press the red button until it's at a safe distance."

Cleo examined the bombchu. "Cool." She got one ready and sent it inside. Then she set it off and heard a big explosion and felt a huge rumble. The whole ground was shaking, the walls of the temple shifted, sliding down into the earth. An opening formed, creating a large stairway leading down into the temple. (_Zelda chime_)

Joseph, who was in slight shock at the strange things he was witnessing, seemed to be recovering already. "Cleo... I think I believe you now."

Kaepora flew down on her shoulder. "We're getting close to our new goal. It won't be long before you get the answer you need."

"I hope so," Cleo said, again ignoring Joseph who went back to gaping after hearing the owl talk.

"Now Cleo, patience," said Emetaly. "Even _I_ had to wait for the answer, despite my ability."

Joseph shook his head. "This is getting weirder by the second." And so, they all walked down into the darkness. As they did, the Chinese archeologist, who also felt the earthquake watched them curiously from a distance.

After a while, although it felt like forever, they entered a hallway, with rows of torches illuminating the place and it's walls adorned with hieroglyphs. Among them, Cleo could see a black triangle, the Triforce perhaps? "What is this place?" she asked.

Joseph was also looking around. "Does someone live here?"

"No," Emetaly answered. "This place has been abandoned since the Cortez invasion."

"Then how come the torches are lit?"

Cleo took a closer look at those torches and noticed that the flames were blue-white instead of red-yellow. "This room feels different. I don't now what it is... but I know it's not a normal place. AAH!" She jumped when her eyes traveled over to a corner and rested on a skeleton. It was wearing ragged clothing that had once been an explorer's uniform, a pith helmet lay next to it, cobwebs were draped in some places, but the worst detail she noticed was the black daggers impaled in the victim.


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 18

There wasn't just one skeleton, there were more scattered about, wearing the same ragged uniforms. "Looks like we found the missing archeologists," said Kaepora.

Cleo pulled out one of the black daggers and saw a red diamond embedded in the middle of the blade. "Ghirahim..." she whispered in a bitter tone.

"What's a Ghirahim, some kind of chocolate brand?" Joseph asked.

"You mean you don't know who that is?" Cleo asked in surprise. "Didn't you play Skyward Sword?"

"I don't play any Nintendo games! I'm more of a Playstation guy."

"Well _he's_ the one who killed my mother, he tried to kill _me,_ seven years ago. And he was here too... the same year it happened... ..." she trailed off.

"What's wrong now?"

"... ...There must be a reason behind all this, the prophecy, the slaughter of these people, the hit on me... they're _all_ connected. These hieroglyphs... they may hold the answer. Why else would he have been here?" She turned to the old woman. "Emetaly, can you read these?"

But Emetaly shook her head. "I'm afraid that's not my purpose."

"Then why did you lead me here?"

"Surely you already know about the prophecy? You have been informed of it by now, haven't you?" She looked at Kaepora as she spoke that last sentence.

"No, of course not! That's why I came here!"

"...Forgive me... I assumed..." She sighed. "I could read them for you, but I'm afraid we have little time. There's something else we must do here and it involves the revival of the sword's light."

"But how can there be little time? This isn't Termina. Why can't we read the prophecy now?"

"Young lady! Again, you're being impatient!" Emetaly said, more sternly. "I cannot explain everything now... but in time, you _will_ have your answer."

"Hey uh, I don't mean to interrupt, but..." They looked at Joseph who spoke. "I don't fully know what's going on, but I can read them for you if you want."

"_You?_ Read _this?_" Cleo asked, gesturing to the hieroglyphs.

"I know that sounds hard to believe. My mom's an anthropologist who specializes in Mayan culture. I got interested in the subject myself and have studied the ancient text for three years."

"Huh! I didn't know that."

"Just go do whatever you have to while I decipher this."

"Come Cleo. It's time I showed you something important." Emetaly led her and Kaepora down the hallway. The place was starting to spook Cleo a bit with all the eerie light and shadows (_if the Boogeyman exists, this would be a good place for him to live in_ she thought). Then they all ran into a dead end.

"Emetaly, do you even know where you're going?" Cleo asked.

"Shh, let's not question her," Kaepora whispered. "I'm sure she knows what she's doing."

"Look here, on the wall. Do you recognize this?" asked Emetaly.

Cleo stepped closer to the wall. In the half light, it looked like more Mayan markings, but the design wasn't right, it didn't match with the other hieroglyphs. Then, she realized it wasn't Mayan at all, it looked more like... "Hylian?" she thought out loud. Indeed, it was. There were ancient Hylian letters surrounding the Triforce insignia. Even though she wasn't in Hyrule, she could still read them, it's almost as if the very air of Hyrule hung over her. Was that why it felt different here than anywhere else? Was a real part of Hyrule attached to this place? "'Play the Song of the Heroes to open the doorway, and the sage will lead the way to awaken your soul.' That's what it says. But how do I play a song?"

"Cleo, remember what I gave you. It will help," said Kaepora.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," Cleo facepalmed. She pulled out the Spirit Piccolo but stopped short. "Wait... What _is_ the Song of the Heroes supposed to sound like?"

"Don't worry. I happened to be familiar with the sacred melody. I'll teach it to you." And with that, Kaepora sung it in his owlish way. Carefully listening to it's pattern, she placed the flute to her lips and copied him. It took a few tries because it was so complicated. After she got it right, finally, a bright glow shot out from the very ground on which she stood. She looked down and recognized the spell circle. Before she could speak, they were all surrounded by a swirl of color, light and sound.

* * *

As soon as everything stopped, Cleo realized they were no longer in the Mayan temple or anywhere on Earth. She looked around her and saw high rocky walls, bunches of dead trees and plants, and some ruins that were more ominous than the temple. She suddenly had a case of deja vu. "...I know this place..."

"I never thought I'd live long enough to see this day. I've always thought that someone would have to take my place when my time came." Emetaly was talking more to herself than to Cleo.

"What do you mean?... W-who _are_ you... really?"

Emetaly didn't yet look at her. "I?... I'd thought you'd know by now... Kaepora told you the tale of how your world is connected to this one."

"You mean the one about the eight sages?"

"You catch on fast. Well..." She now turned to Cleo. "You see... I _am_ one of the sages."

"I was wondering about the mention of a sage in the words. It also said something about awakening my soul. What does it mean, exactly?"

"I'll be revealing that to you in a bit. First, I need to tell you more about the history of our connected worlds. You know about the great portal in the Bermuda Triangle? It's not the only one in existance, there are eight others. And we, the Eight Sages of the Interworld Gates act as guardians to the doorways. Back when both Hyrule and the Triforce were still in their infancy, the first eight sages were the ones who created the portals. They were pioneers who discovered your world and started a new settlement and a new pact with the natives. One of those sages was my ancestor, a Sheikah. In fact, many of the Mayans were really Sheikahs that moved to your world."

"Really? I didn't know that people from Hyrule went there a long time ago. I guess that explains the Zora."

"Now about the question at hand. My job as a sage is not just to be a gatekeeper, but also a purifier. You see, the first eight were also the ones who helped in making the Goddess Sword."

"What?!"

"Yes, the goddess Hylia created the sword, but it was not forged the way a blacksmith forges any tool. The Goddess Sword is made up of eight different virtues that also makes a hero. And Hylia gathered those ingredients from the sages, straight from their hearts. The Master Sword you hold rely on those virtues for its full potential. But it can only regain its light when it regains the virtues through the wielder. That is where I come in, to help guide you to a spiritual place and teach you one of the virtues."

Suddenly, they heard a howl from over the horizon. They all turned toward it's direction. "Look Cleo!" Kaepora pointed out. Sure enough, Cleo could see a large beast on a cliff nearby.

"That's just great. We weren't in Hyrule for five minutes and already there's trouble. Looks like a wolfos. Emetaly, stay behind me." Getting her sword and shield ready, Cleo went along a path toward the cliff as the beast descended to the canyon floor.

It was overcast and the wall was making this place even darker, but soon enough, she could see the whites of it's eyes in the gloom. The large silhouette was slinking closer, never taking it's eyes off her. Cleo waited for it to pounce any second, but for some reason, it wouldn't. She decided to make the first move and charged with a war cry.

The wolfos turned out to be much faster than she thought. It suddenly became a dark gray blur, dodging her swings and then it sprung at her. Her shield was ripped off and before she could counter, she was knocked off her feet, with the beast pinning her down.

Cleo stared up at it in shock, straight into it's deep blue eyes... and they looked familiar... "... ...Link?" The wolf responded with a lick on her cheek and got off her. She started laughing as she got up and embraced him. "Link! It's so good to see you!"

She let go of him and put on the fox mask to change. "Huh! So you can turn into a beast as well?" asked Link "I'm sorry I gave you such a fright."

"That's all right."

"I noticed you have the Master Sword with you... So it _did_ choose you, as it did me."

"Say, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I've been waiting for you..."

"What? How did you know I'd be here?"

"Zelda sent me here. She told me what's been going on lately, about a demon lord and you gaining the sword."

"But Zel's kidnapped. How could she...?" Cleo's eyes rested on a glowing blue stone tied around his neck. "The gossip stone?"

"Yes. She claimed you'd be here and that you'll be going to seven other places in order to revive the Master Sword's Light. She learned all this from the Temple of Time before she was taken."

"I see..."

"Zelda knows you're inexperienced and in need of guidance. That's why she sent me here, I'm here to teach you all the special moves an ancient warrior once taught me."

"But... I've got something important to do. I mean..." Cleo looked back at Emetaly and Kaepora.

"I think it's important that you _do_ learn some new skills," Kaepora decided. "I'll watch over the sage, we will wait, hoo hoo." Emetaly, who seemed to understand what Cleo and Link were saying, nodded.

"All right..."

"Follow me," Link commanded. They walked back up the path onto the cliff where he had been. There was plenty of space there. Link changed into his original human self, Cleo noticed he looked more mature than the last time she'd seen him (he'd been away from Hyrule for quite awhile), with longer hair, a soul patch, and stubble. "Before we begin, let's see how well you've improved on your own."

Cleo took off her mask and stood before her sparring partner. They crossed swords at each other before they began.


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 19

Cleo fell once again before Link. It was apparent that she was no match for him, even with the Master Sword. Panting, she landed on her rear on the hard ground. "Tell me, what's the point of sparring if you're beating me so easily?"

"The point is so you'll learn. If you're defeated, you learn alot from your mistakes," answered Link.

"Yeah, I guess you would, if you don't get killed first," Cleo said sarcastically.

He laughed. "Too true, that remark." Cleo got back up again. "You've got a long ways to go before you're at my level. Now, the first skill I'm going to teach you is the most important: The ending blow. Do you need a demonstration?"

"Nah, I've seen it many times in the video games."

"You mean that weird device you play with?"

"Yep."

"Well, pulling it off in real life won't be the same, I'm sure. I won't attack this time, try to knock me down with your best move." Cleo charged in and gave him a few swipes, while Link tried to defend, then used a spin attack. After he fell, Cleo was about to leap, but hesitated. Link quickly recovered and got up. "Cleo, don't hold back. The Master Sword can't hurt me, so there's no need to be concerned. Try again." This time, she attacked more determinedly, then leapt with the sword pointed downwards. Its tip punched his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He got up, clutching his stomach. "Man, you hit hard!" he laughed.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine, this is nothing. As I'm sure you know if you hesitate for too long, your enemy will recover. Don't give them that chance."

"Thank you Link. I _did_ learn a lot from you, more than the video games anyway."

"You've changed so much since I last saw you. I don't know if you remember this place, but we've been to this canyon before."

Cleo looked all around her. "...I _do_ remember this place. I was much younger back then, I was in danger, and I needed someone like you to rescue me..."

"Yes, but now you've gotten stronger, more independent, you don't need any rescuing from me... just guidance. And now you've got a mission to do, I better not delay you any further."

"Thanks again." Cleo headed off to rejoin her companions.

"I'll be waiting for you at the next spiritual place!" Link called out. Cleo turned back, but did not see a man standing there. Instead, she saw the back of a wolf sprinting off.

* * *

KABOOM! The wall crumbled away to reveal a new pathway after the bombchu crawled into a hole and exploded. "I hope we haven't woken up any redeads with that noise," said Cleo, who was sure this barren canyon was a good place for such creatures.

"I can see the temple just up ahead. This is undoubtedly our destination," Kaepora informed. "It is called the Sanctuary of Shadows. We must deliver the sage to its heart if we are to gain strength to the sword."

"Hopefully, I won't slow you down with my old age." Emetaly almost tripped but Cleo held her hand. "Thank you dear. My, what a time for me to get weaker."

"Let's try to get this over with, so you don't have to do any more trudging."

They approached the temple (Cleo was sure she'd seen it before) and found their way in. The place looked similar to an aztec temple and had images on the wall that told of a once great kingdom. There were supernatural monsters running around that Cleo had to clear a room of before letting Emetaly through. The old woman, thankfully, wasn't a total burden. She possessed some kind of spiritual magic that helped with some puzzles, there were markings of suns that reacted to her touch which activated some kind of switch such as removing bars on doors. Cleo eventually found the Skullbone Bow, an upgrade to her slingshot. It looked cryptic, but was dead useful. Then she fought off a pair of stalfos warriors to gain the big key. They came to a large door where she used the key and it creaked open slowly... ominously. They all stepped through.

The place looked like a throne room. It was dark apart from the sunlight streaming through the high windows, but as they walked across the room, it got darker. Red curtains slowly lowered over the windows, completely blocking out the sun. Cleo knew something big was about to happen.

"So you're the one I've been waiting for all these eons?" asked a booming voice, almost making Cleo jump. "I expected a great warrior, but you're just a child! I should've known that the sage would have gone senile, and that's not saying much." Cleo looked toward the source of the voice and saw, sitting on a large throne, a stalfos adorned with ancient regal ornaments. No doubt a once mighty king in life. "You've practically been brought here just to be a sacrifice."

"What? You mean to tell me that this is a trap?!" Cleo demanded.

"Not a trap, a test. I must challenge the one chosen by fate to fufill the prophecy. Tell me old hag, do you really think she is the _one?_"

"I don't think she is, King Ikana... I _know_ she is," Emetaly spoke calmly as though they were merely talking over tea.

"I'm... part of the prophecy? I was chosen? Why? By whom? Please tell me..." asked Cleo.

But the stalfos king only responded with a laugh full of cruel amusement. "You don't even know what it _is?_ You truly _are_ in the dark."

"Are you even gonna answer my question?" she said angrily.

"That does not matter now, you should never have listened to the old woman and now, I'm afraid, your fate has been sealed. I hope you're ready to die!" He got up and brandished his huge sword.

**Supreme Ruler of the Stalfos:**  
**Igos du Ikana**

He was pretty strong, just a couple of hits with that sword and Cleo would be done for. She knew she had to attack carefully, but her sword didn't seem to hurt him. She tried to use a skyward strike but realized she couldn't summon one, even when she held it perfectly straight up. She narrowly avoided a swing from Ikana, quickly trying to come up with a solution. She remembered watching Finn battle this guy on an emulator years ago, she saw what he did to gain an advantage. Whipping out her bow and arrows, Cleo aimed, not at her opponent, but at the red curtains. She was suddenly knocked against the wall before she could shoot. Fortunately, she didn't hit her head. Shaking herself off, she set lose a bombchu to stun Ikana just long enough to make her shots and bring down the curtains. The stalfos king, who couldn't stand the light, tried to avoid it. Already thinking ahead, Cleo stood in the light, raised her sword up at it, and finally was able to conjure the skyward strike at the panicking stalfos. After he fell, she charged in and used the ending blow to finish him.

After the stab, the body burned away into nothing, leaving only a head. The head floated up in the air and shook itself. "Aw, that's just great. I'm dead _again!_ It's embarrassing enough I got beaten by a kid long ago, but a little _girl?_ I must be out of shape!"

"You truly underestimated this girl," said Emetaly with a pleasant smile.

"I don't need a lecture old woman!" King Ikana turned to Cleo next. "Although I'll admit, you've got more power and guts than I gave you credit." He lowered himself to her level. "Now that you've proven yourself to me, I will allow you to use this sanctuary. It's painfully obvious that _you_ must be the one to fulfill your destiny."

"Just what exactly am I supposed to do?" Cleo asked.

"To repower the Master Sword, you must stand in the sanctuary spell circle and play a part of the Ballad of Awakening with the Spirit Piccolo. As you do so, you must embrace one of the virtues from the Sage. Old woman, if you please."

Emetaly bent down to touch the floor and the spell circle formed around them. "The virtue you must embrace is patience. Kaepora, teach her the first part of the melody."

"Of course. Cleo, listen carefully." After hearing the tune, Cleo repeated it: d. Then the circle became brighter as she felt the spirit of the sage flow into her. She pulled out the Master Sword, which was now giving off a faint glow, and held it up.

* * *

_Spiritual potential and memory restoration output: 15%_

* * *

"If you don't mind, I'm going back to sleep. I'm exhausted," Ikana said tiredly before vanishing into thin air.

"I think we better be heading off," said Kaepora.

"Right," Cleo nodded. She looked at Emetaly and realized she wasn't moving. "Emetaly?... Emetaly, can you hear me?" There was still no answer. And then she realized with a jolt in her heart "...Oh my God," she gasped out, going over to her. "Are you still with us?... Please, don't go. Not yet. Emetaly!" Then she heard a snore... Cleo fell in embarrassment. _Of course she's sleeping!_ she thought.

Emetaly suddenly jerked awake. "Huh?... Oh sorry, didn't mean to doze off. I meant to send you back first." She got up from her sitting position. "Can't have you take the long way, even though you learned patience. Now, to find the other places, the Mayan writing will point the way. You'll, no doubt, need Joseph for that. As for the other sages, most of them will not be fully aware of their purpose like myself. Finding them will be difficult."

"I understand."

"Then I shall see you off. I wish you good luck." And then, with her magic, Emetaly sent Cleo and Kaepora up into the bright light.

* * *

A group of bokoblins were patrolling the Faron Woods, occasionally chatting to each other in their own native tongue. Suddenly, there was a loud rustle somewhere nearby. They all froze. _What was that?_ one of them asked. _Go check it out._ Another bokoblin snuck toward the area where the noise was made and was about to hack a bush aside when they were all startled by a horn blast.


	21. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 20

The horn blast rent the air and in a swirl of leaves, limp bodies dropped down on invisible strings and positioned themselves in a pose that looked like an ominous dance. Screeching in total surprise, the bokoblins attacked the sudden intruders, but were unable to strike the quick moving foes who clawed at them. _Retreat! Retreat!_ ordered one of the bokoblins after the confusing struggle and they all scrambled madly away, some of them tripping in their panicked escape.

After they were gone, another being hopped down, carrying a lantern and a large flute, laughing. "Hee hee, you puppets did great!" At these words, those puppets fell to the ground and vanished in a puff of smoke. "Stupid bokoblins, going about skull kid territory like they own the place... There's been a lot lately though, not to mention the princess hasn't come back from the temple yet... And that girl in the green tunic that passed by earlier... I think I know her. I wonder what's going on?"

A high-pitched caw sounded above him and he looked up to see a white bird passing by. "A... seagull?" Then he took a whiff of salty air. "Wait a minute... something's not right." It had been a while since he'd climbed really high up, but now he needed to in order to see all of the Faron Woods. But when he got to the canopy, he was in for a big surprise. More than half the forest was gone, replaced by an endless expanse of ocean. "... ...WHA?! What happened to this place?! Did Faron have another raging fit again?" With _this_ many bokoblins, he wouldn't be surprised.

Then two more things caught his eye, some things even more peculiar. Now that he could see the sky clearly, he noticed a strange energy field covering it and when he turned round a bit, he could now see some kind of strange looking castle in the distance. "What _is_ that?" Then the skull kid realized it was right in the place where the temple ruins were supposed to be. "Oh no... Zelda."

* * *

Cleo and Kaepora reappeared in the Mayan temple and went down the hallway until they met Joseph again. He turned to them. "Back again already? You didn't forget anything, did you?"

"No, I did all I can here for now," answered Cleo.

"You were only gone for ten minutes. Apparently, your errands don't take long at all. But anyway, I've pretty much figured out what this says. Turns out there _is_ a prophecy written here." Cleo now (for the first time) gave Joseph her undivided attention, this was what she had been waiting for since Ghirahim first let it slip. "You know about the Mayan calendar, right? Something's suppose to happen at it's close, something big... It says 'when our age comes to an end, so will the light. Great darkness will fall upon the two worlds bringing forth chaos and ruin.' That sounds like the end of the world."

"But how... What is this darkness they're talking about? Did they mean Ghirahim?"

"I don't know, they didn't specify. But that's not all, there's more. 'Before the darkness is summoned, a child will be called. The child, possessing a spirit of happiness, will awaken her soul and face the darkness.' That's the entire prophecy."

It took a moment for Cleo to take all this info in. "This child... it's me isn't it."

"You? What makes you think that?"

"I was just told that I was chosen by fate... to fulfill the prophecy." She let out a wry laugh. "I can't even believe it! Fourteen years of my life without a clue, and _now_ supposedly I'm expected to save the world. Since when? I thought this was about destroying Ghirahim!"

"Cleo, you swore you would not resort to revenge," Kaepora scolded. "I told you to let it go so you would fulfill your destiny." Cleo gave him an "I don't believe what I'm hearing" look. "Wha-what I meant to say was-"

"You _knew,_ didn't you Kaepora! You _knew_ what the prophecy was all along!"

"Now Cleo-"

"Why didn't you tell me before?!" she demanded angrily.

There was a long pause before Kaepora sighed and answered, "I couldn't... I was afraid it would be too overwhelming for you, to have such a weight on your shoulders. I felt that if I told you too soon before you're ready, you wouldn't have the courage to accept such a responsibility."

She snorted. "In other words, you're being an over-protective parent, or rather grandparent since you sound like an old man." She turned her back on him. "There's one good thing about hearing the prophecy, it explains why Ghirahim tried to kill me in the first place. There's just one thing I don't get... He found out about it through the archeologists and knew _some_one was gonna get in the way. So just how did he know, seven years in advance, it was me?"

"I'm not sure. And why _you_ were chosen, I truly don't know. _Really_ I don't!" he added when Cleo gave him another look.

"Well I've decided I no longer care about what the prophecy says. I'll continue with this mission, of course, but I'm still going to try and get even with Ghirahim. I've already made up my mind!" Cleo firmly finished.

"So that's the whole plot, huh?" said Joseph. "Well now that I know what's going on, would you like me to tell you where you should go next?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay, it says 'journey south to where the hills rise high and a city ruled by a great emperor is part of the mountains.' That's all. Now my best guess is the Mayans were referring to Machu Picchu."

"What about the other places?"

"I haven't gotten to that yet and I know you can't keep coming back for more info since the end of the calendar is several days away. I'll have to give you my cellphone number for that. Here." Joseph wrote the number on a piece of paper. "Call me anytime when you're done with the next task, I'll have the answer ready by then."

"Thanks Joseph, I never really thought I'd need your number."

"Yeah, me neither," Joseph said with a laugh.

"C'mon Kae." Cleo went around a corner that would lead outside and as she turned it, she bumped into someone she had completely forgotten. "What the?" It was the Chinese archeologist. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Oh, sorry! I was just-"

"Wait, have you been listening?"

"Look, I did not know you were here first. I will just go, okay." He quickly left before Cleo could say another word. She shook it off as just an accident, then continued outside to take off on Kaepora. But this time, the archeologist could clearly see it happening.

* * *

"Tell me honestly Kaepora, how long have you known it was me?" Cleo asked as they soared over South America.

"Well when we first met, I wasn't entirely sure that you were the one chosen, even after Ghirahim attacked you at the hotel. In order to know for sure, I had to see for myself your courage and abilities. That was why I had you gather the circlets, it was all a test really, for you to prove yourself."

"I see..."

"I'm very sorry I made you go through all this. I would never do this to you if you were unwilling. That is the truth."

"Well, lets just forget about it and move on," Cleo finished. She couldn't help but have mixed feelings for her companion. He meant well, but she wished she'd known about all this from the start.

Soon, they were able to see the Peruvian mountains and in half-an-hour of circling, they could see the ancient city. They landed at the edge of town and looked around. It was pretty quiet.

"Where do you think the portal is Kae?"

"You might have to use dowsing for that."

"Right." Cleo withdrew her sword and followed the blinking pattern. It got faster as she approached the hard stone ground at what appeared to be a square. As she walked, the clomping sound her steps made changed. She knew that sound. "I think I know were it is now." She stomped. "Right under here." She placed a bombchu and walked off at a safe distance. After she detonated it and waited for the smoke to clear, Cleo approached and was surprised to see there was not a single scratch on the stone. "This is stronger than I thought! Figures!"

"Let's not worry about this now. We have yet to find the next sage, hoo hoo."

"There aren't any humans for miles. I'll have to go to the nearest town."

Kaepora turned his head right around until it was on backwards. "Seems like you spoke too soon. I can hear some people."

"Wow, good ears." Cleo walked through Machu Picchu until she ran into a crowd of people. They were following a woman talking to them in Spanish. "Uh, excuse me!"

The woman looked at her. "¿Tiene una pregunta?"

"Uh... ¿Podemos hablar en Inglés?" Cleo responded a bit slowly, having learned only a little Spanish.

"Oh uh, espera un seg," the woman said to the crowd, then turned back to Cleo. "What's your name?"

"It's Cleo."

"I don't recognize that name. Are you not part of the tour?"

"No I just came by. Do you mind if I tag along? I just need a ride to town."

"No, not at all, we're just finishing up. You can ride on the bus with us. My name's Pacha by the way."

Cleo nodded and followed while Kaepora flapped overhead. They came to the tour bus and she boarded with the crowd, Kae landed on top. Pacha took the wheel and drove them away from the ancient city.

As they rode along a dirt road, a loud thwack was heard against the bus' hull. People jumped and looked around. The sound was right next to Cleo and she looked outside to see what made the noise. She spotted an arrow sticking out just a few inches from her window. "Uh oh!" She looked up in time to see a bokoblin getting ready to fire another arrow. "Everyone, get down!" The arrow flew straight through the glass and narrowly missed Cleo and another guy who ducked in time.

"¡Ay, caramba! What was that?!" Pacha exclaimed.

"Pacha, keep driving!" Cleo opened the window and climbed out on top of the bus. "Kae, we've gotta protect the tourists!" With a nod, Kaepora took off to chase off some of the bokoblins while she fired back at them with her own bow and arrow. They were doing pretty well, driving the enemies back throughout the ride, but it wasn't until they started across a bridge over a raging river did things get serious fast. An explosion was heard from below and they looked down to see the support beams destroyed. Any second, the whole bridge would collapse.

"Hootie Hoo!" shouted Kaepora.

"Oh Bleck!" shouted Cleo.


	22. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days3) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 21

"Oi, are you sure she's gonna come by here?"

"Of course she is, Ollo! The boss said this is the only route between that town and that really old Mutchi Putchi town, or whatever the hell you call it!" The two bokoblin brothers and a few other members were climbing around the bridge supports, tying bombs to the poles. "Just in case the archers fail to snipe the girl, we'll use all this to blow her so sky-high, she'll kiss the moon."

"I'd like her to kiss _my_ moon."

Oi burst out laughing and a couple of others joined in. "Good one Ollo, you actually said something clever for once!"

"Thanks, Oi."

One bokoblin was on lookout and when he saw the bus with Cleo on it, he blew the call horn. "Ollo, let's clear off."

"Wait, not yet! I still need to add fireworks to celebrate our vict-"

"Ollo, _now!_"

"O-kay," he answered very disappointedly.

They all got on the rocky ledges, the last one remained under the bridge to light the fuse. "Wait... wait..." Oi cautioned, then a flaming arrow shot into the air. "Now!" The bokoblin ignited the bombs and scrambled off. In a few short seconds, the bridge supports blew up just as the bus was starting to cross.

* * *

"Hootie Hoo!" shouted Kaepora.

"Oh Bleck!" shouted Cleo.

Pacha instantly knew the bridge was collapsing and pressed down harder on the gas, hoping to outdrive the disaster happening underneath them as people started screaming. Cleo was sure they weren't going to make it. She quickly scanned the area for any possible way out of the situation. She spotted a large pointed rock protruding out of the ground just before the ledge on the other side. She ran up the bus roof toward the front, pulling out her whip. "Kae, help me!"

"Way ahead!" Kaepora called back, taking one end of the whip, dropping down the front and tying it to the grill. The bus was quickly dropping like a rock, she only had one shot. Swinging the other end, Cleo threw with all her might. It flew over to the rock and wrapped itself around, latching on firmly.

The bus violently tilted back as the last of the bridge fell, while Cleo leapt over onto the front to keep from falling in the powerful current of the muddy river. "Pleaseholdpleaseholdpleasehold!" The bus stopped with a jerk, making Cleo bounce and nearly slip off. She grabbed the whip for support.

Oi and Ollo stared at the now hanging bus. "... ...There's no way she's human," Ollo commented.

"Don't just stand there, dummy! Shoot her!"

"Oh, okay. Whatever you say bro." Ollo was nocking an arrow when he was hit in the forehead with a large nut. He swayed for a moment before falling headfirst off the cliff and into the river.

"Ollo!" Oi looked back up at Cleo who had a slingshot in her hand (she was out of arrows). He began hopping up and down in anger. "Cleo, you FUUUUDGGGGE!" He slipped at that last word and too fell with a sploosh.

* * *

Cleo and Pacha had to get all the tourists out, one at a time. After a tiring hour of getting everyone up the whip, (some of which were not good at climbing rope) Cleo untied it from the grill and the now empty bus crashed down into the river. She climbed back up and retrieved her whip. "Look uh, sorry about your bus Pacha."

"Don't worry about it señorita, you've saved all our lives. Muchas gracias." The tourists joined in with thanking Cleo, some of them wanting to shake her hand, hug her and/or kiss her on both cheeks.

"Okay, okay guys! De nada!" Cleo laughed. She managed to pull away from the crowd. "Listen Pacha, do you know where I can find a sage? No, rephrase. Do you know _any_ sage around here?"

"A sage? No, I don't know if there is a sage in town. But tell you what, if you need a place to stay, you can come with me. I have a spare bedroom you can use."

"Gracias."

* * *

They arrived at a ranch house by four-wheeler, she rode them around to the back where the garage was. A man stepped out to greet her. "I'm home papa!" she called.

"Hey Pacha, how was work?"

"I'm afraid I'm going to be unemployed for awhile, there was an accident."

His face fell. "What happened?" He noticed Cleo. "Who's this?"

"Her name's Cleo, she's our guest. Cleo, this is my papa. He has to live with me since his house burned down." They said "Hola" to each other with Cleo expressing sympathy about his house. "I need to talk to him about what happened today, so go ahead in."

"Okay." Cleo went inside, holding the door for Kaepora. She walked into the living roon, flopped onto a couch, and let out a heavy sigh. "That was the most intense moment yet. I actually thought we weren't going to survive that... Kaepora, I'm sorry... for yelling at you. You were right, this whole quest really _is_ overwhelming and I got careless."

"Careless? How were you careless? You saved all these people."

"Yeah well, that's the whole point! They wouldn't be in danger if I hadn't tagged along! I don't know what I was thinking!"

"Cleo, the bokoblins had already set up to attack that bus, even if you'd rode me instead. I think they were planning to lure you into their trap by using the tourists as bait."

"Damn it, Ghirahim!" Cleo cursed through clenched teeth.

"When you become a hero, great risks will be taken. You have to take responsibility for the people you need to protect."

"Yeah, I know," she said with another sigh. "But can I _really_ do it? Am I ready for this?"

* * *

_... ... ...Cleo... ...Cleo... the time is coming Cleo... ...time to awaken..._

A voice was calling to her, a voice she hadn't heard before... it sounded strange... sounded... alien...

_...It's time Cleo... ... you must awaken..._

Alien... except... it was also... strangely...

Cleo woke up in the middle of the night. The clock said 3:30 am, she now felt restless and her head full of thoughts. _Who _is _it that's calling me,_ she thought. _It can't be Fi, could it? But I already have the Master Sword..._

* * *

"Cleo, can I have a quick word?" Pacha's father asked during breakfast. "In the garage?"

"Okay, sure," she answered. After they finished, Cleo followed him in. "Listen, is it something important? 'Cause I need to go find someone."

"This will just take a moment." He went around the motor bikes and equipment and came back with a pair of strange, oval shaped, metal disks. "Pacha told me of your heroics. The way she described it, I thought it was loco, but she sounded sincere. Is it true you stopped the bus from falling off a collapsing bridge?"

"Uh, yeah... until we got all the tourists out."

"You know... somehow, I believe you. You have an honest face. I'd like you to have these." He held out the disks.

"What are they?"

"Just put them on your soles and tap this button." He pointed to the red button on the side. Cleo equipped them and gave it a press, they expanded around the lower part of her legs into a pair of metal boots.

"Wha-?!" She tried to move, her feet felt heavy. "What is this?"

"Iron boots, I made them myself. The blueprints have been in my family for generations, though no one has made any for a long time."

"Whoa, this is neat! Thanks, you're a good blacksmith. Can you do me another favor? I have some equipment that I think needs an upgrade."

"Of course, señorita. Just show me what you need and I'll work on it."

Cleo gave him her clawshot and he went in the other room with it. "Hey Kae, C'mere. I think I know how to break that stone floor in Machu Picchu. It just needs a good stomp with these and we'll be in that secret room."

"Did you say secret room?" Cleo turned around and saw Pacha standing at the garage door. "You know where it is?"

"Pacha, you shouldn't-wait, hold on... _you_ know about it?"

"Yes... from my grandpapa. I've always been fascinated by the ancient town and when he told me of a hidden room, I searched there many times... but to no avail."

"Huh, that sounds familiar..."

"You're going back to Machu Picchu? How are you going to do that though? The bridge is out."

"I have ways of getting there."

"Well then, take me with you."

"What?" Cleo did not expect this. "Pacha, this is going to be dangerous."

"I know... I did see those demons... I know something's going on... And something is telling me that I should come with you. You might need me."

Cleo thought for a moment. "Are you absolutely _sure_ you should come?"

"Sí"

"...All right."

* * *

Cleo's clawshot, bow and bombchus had been modified for better performance and Pacha's father told her she was free to come back anytime when she had more equipment that needed upgrading.

Cleo and Pacha flew back to Machu Picchu on Kaepora. Quite amazed by the owl before, Pacha now clung on to her friend tightly as they soared. "You're not scared of heights, are you?" Cleo asked.

"Only a little." Pacha kept her eyes upward, not daring to look down.

"But you walk around the mountains all the time."

"It only bothers me when my feet aren't touching the ground."

"We're almost there, don't worry," replied Kaepora.

They arrived at their destination and went to the town square. Putting on her new boots, Cleo stomped around the hollow stone floor. It didn't take long for it to give in to her weight, one last heavy hop and the cracked stone broke open and she fell into pitch blackness with a crash.

"CLEO!" Pacha ran over and looked down to see Cleo flat on her back. "Cleo, are you alright?"

"...Ow... Not the best idea, but it worked. Just give me a moment." After she recovered, she helped Pacha down with the whip. They looked around their new surroundings and could see the Hylian markings and Triforce emblem on the walls, once their eyes adjusted in the dark.

Pacha was staring at them in a strange way as though entranced. "... ... ...I... I know this place..." She reached out to touch the hieroglyphs... her eyes suddenly went dim and she collapsed.


	23. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days3) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

Espectro also belongs to me.

* * *

Chapter 22

Cleo was shocked. "Pacha?!" She quickly ran to the aid of her friend and, looking closely, could see her eyes were glossy. "Oh my God, is she-?!" She checked Pacha's breath. "She's still breathing... What just happened, Kae?"

"She must've fallen into a trance..."

Just as suddenly as she collapsed, Pacha reawoke. She looked to Cleo and Kaepora with a gaze full of enlightenment. She slowly got up as she spoke. "...I just had a vision... I know why I'm here now... ...What I have to do... The prophecy, the sages."

"You're one of the eight sages," Cleo declared.

"...Sí, I am one of them. My grandpapa knew, he was a sage before me. He passed the spirit of the sage to me before he died..."

"Now that you know who you are, we have some business to do," announced Kaepora.

"I know..." They all turned to the Triforce symbol. Cleo stepped forward, took out her piccolo and looked back at Pacha. Her friend gave her a nod to let her know she's ready for the mission. Cleo played the Song of the Heroes, then they were all surrounded by a swirl of color, light and sound.

* * *

They found themselves on a mountain. There was a Goron village nearby and they could see Beedle's traveling caravan shop passing through. Cleo bought some supplies with the rupees she had found on her last trip to Hyrule. The Gorons told of a temple farther up the mountain and the adventurers took that path. On the way, Cleo met Link again and was taught a new move: the shield attack. After the hike along the foggy trail, they came upon the Sanctuary of Earth.

The place was infested with Lizalfos and Dodongos. There were magnet machines everywhere with controls Cleo couldn't figure out, so Pacha took over to help her. There were also small tunnels only Cleo could get through as a fox, so she could get to switches on the other side to open doors. With wall masters also inhabiting the place, it became a pain to protect Pacha from getting kidnapped and when she did, Cleo had to retrace her steps to find her in the dungeons. They found the Goron Bracelets that gave Cleo super strength, then she faced a Dynalfos to get the big key. Finally, they were able to get in the last room.

The room was wide and had a lot of thick pillars. They heard heavy stomping approaching and a reptilian roar. "Pacha, the guardian is coming. You'd best stay at the exit," Cleo cautioned before going to the source of the commotion with Kaepora. Reaching the center, she could now see her next opponent, it was a huge two legged lizard that was covered in metal plates, a scar lashed across one slit-pupiled eye.

**Armored Lizard King:**  
**Dodongadillo**

The beast, upon seeing Cleo, curled up into a ball and rolled after her. She had to jump out of the fast moving monster's way, its hard shell too thick for her sword. Thinking the pillars might be strong enough to break the armor, she stood before Dodongadillo to catch it with her bare hands. But as strong as she was with the bracelets, she was easily knocked aside. Cleo realized she needed to be heavier and equipped her iron boots. This time, she held fast and managed to stop it and pick it up, then tossed it against the pillars which fell on top of the creature. It took a few more throws before the armor came off completely, revealing a glowing orb on it's forehead. Dodongadillo, tried to suck Cleo into its mouth, but she quickly let loose a bombchu to be eaten and blow up in its face, stunning it. Cleo then charged in to hack away at its weak spot.

With a last loud roar, the monster toppled over, turned to stone and crumbled apart.

Pacha came to Cleo and bent down to touch the floor and the spell circle formed around them. "The virtue you must embrace is responsibility. Play the next part of the Ballad of Awakening."

Cleo nodded and listened to Kaepora's notes. She repeated it: b. Then the circle became brighter as she felt the spirit of the sage flow into her. She pulled out the Master Sword, which was now giving off a slightly stronger glow, and held it up.

* * *

_Spiritual potential and memory restoration output: 25%_

* * *

"Now that we're done, it's time to send you back to your world señorita."

Cleo raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean _our_ world?"

"I belong here now. My ancestors came from Hyrule, they were Gorons. I know that sounds loco, but the Gorons living in your world have changed over the eons. I have to stay here, to keep the power in balance."

"I understand," answered Cleo.

"I wish you luck." And then, with her magic, Pacha sent Cleo and Kaepora up into the bright light.

* * *

Cleo and Kaepora reappeared in Machu Picchu's secret chamber and realized they were not alone. There was someone there, looking at the hieroglyphs with his back to them. "Now _this_ is interesting."

"Uh..." Cleo uttered, making the guy freeze and turn around.

It was the same Chinese archeologist, they each were startled by the other's presence. "Wa! Where did you come from? You really should not sneak up on people!"

"Are you following us?"

"Look, I did not know you would be here! I am just trying to do my work."

"What work, stalking? C'mon Kae, let's get out of here." With a huff, Cleo climbed up a ladder that the man had obviously placed there. After getting above ground, she took out her cellphone and called Joseph.

"...Hey, so how is the mission going Cleopatra?"

Cleo rolled her eyes. "Fine. What about you? Have you learned anything?"

"Yeah, I have. The next clue said 'travel east until you reach the sea where a man of redemption stands awaiting upon the portal.' That's it."

"Man of redemption? Is that suppose to be the next sage?"

"I guess," said Joseph, probably shrugging. "You'll just have to go there to find out."

"Right, thanks for the info. I'll call you back." She hung up.

* * *

They flew over the amazon rainforest until they hit the sea, a trip that didn't take very long for fast flying Kaepora. They traveled down the coast, trying to see any place of interest. Soon they found Rio de Janeiro. "Kae, I think we should land here," Cleo suggested.

"You think this is the right place?"

"Yeah, I believe so. It just hit me, this man of redemption the Mayans speak of, I think they meant _him_." She was pointing to a statue of Jesus Christ standing on one of the high hills. "Let's see." She withdrew the Master Sword and pointed it at the statue. Sure enough, the diamond on the hilt started blinking. "I was right, the portal's there!"

Little did they know that they were being watched by strange men with binoculars. "There she is. It looks like that weird guy was right. Let's go."

Cleo and Kaepora landed in the jungle to avoid being seen by any tourists. She immediately noticed something strange was going on. "Kae..."

"I know... this place is too quiet." Suddenly, a net shot out of nowhere and caught Kaepora. Cleo got her weapon ready when men with guns appeared, followed by bokoblins.

"Drop your sword lady! We'll start shooting your owl friend if you make a move!" Gritting her teeth, Cleo put it away and raised her hands. They grabbed her, tied her hands and put a sack over her.

* * *

Cleo was thrown into a cell only God knows where, she had been riding in the back seat with that filthy sack blocking her vision, leaving her wondering what was to happen to her or her friend. Now she was locked up after the bag was removed and a cage containing Kaepora was hung up next to the cell.

"Where am I? What do you guys want?" The men didn't answer her question, they just left without a word.

They went to another room where another guy in a fancy suit was sitting at his desk. "We got her boss."

"Excellent work boys. With the girl captured, we's sure to get a big reward."

"Should we call him?"

"No, that's not necessary, he said he's will come at his own time. Besides, there's still one more task we's need to do, before we're given the riches as promised." At that, the boss looked over his shoulder at a cage containing an albino capuchin.

Meanwhile, Cleo turned into a fox to slip through the bars to get out. Then she let Kaepora out of the cage. "Those bokoblins were with the men that captured us," he said.

"I know Kae, it doesn't seem to make sense. Why were they working for humans?"

"Well _I_ wouldn't call these humans friendly. We need to find a way out of here, hoo hoo."

With a guard right outside the door, Cleo had to find another exit. She found an air vent she could crawl through as a fox which ended up in another room. She snuck her way through the corridors past more guards, hiding underneath boxes to avoid detection that would get her thrown back in the cell. Cleo entered another air vent and soon found herself above a particular room that caught her attention.

The guy in the fancy suit was still sitting at his desk, smoking a cigar, when one of the thugs walked in followed by a small Jamaican boy. "Ah, right on time. So kid, you's got what we asked?"

"Where's Espectro?"

"Show him the monkey," the boss said, snapping his fingers. The thugs brought out the capuchin who let out a pitiful squeak. The boy lurched forward, but was stopped short by the man who escorted him. "First the cape, then you's can have your primate."

"Choo promise mon?"

"You have my word." The boy took his sack and pulled out a blue and white feathered cape. It was taken from him and placed on the table. "Such a beautiful work of art. They say the feathers came from the legendary bird, Roc. If the legend is true, it will be worth a fortune."

"Now give me Espectro."

"I's don't think so..."

"But choo promised!"

"There's just one little thing I forgot to tells you. If what the guy in the diamond suit says is true, a very important person is right here in this room. And he's want him dead."


	24. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 23

Cleo saw the Don pull out his gun. "Okay, I've seen enough," she hissed. It all happened in one quick moment, she pulled off the fox mask and burst out of the air vent, landing on top of one of the thugs, knocking him out, and taking advantage of their shock, she leapt over the desk and pinned the Don against the wall with her sword. His gun dropped.

The guys pulled out their guns. "Hold your fire!" the Don commanded.

"Let the boy and the monkey go NOW!" Cleo demanded.

"And what if we's don't meet your demands?" Cleo pressed the blade at his throat. "He he, you's don't have the guts! You's just a child."

"A child _you's_ pissed off!" she hissed, every syllable low in fury.

The Don's face faltered when he saw the look in her hard gaze. The thugs hesitated, waiting for their boss's instructions. "Cleo, what are you doing?!" Kaepora called out.

They suddenly heard bokoblin screeches approaching the room. Cleo lifted up the Don and threw him at his men. "Kae, grab the monkey!" She ran to the boy and grabbed his hand. "Let's get you outta here!"

"My cape!" Cleo grabbed the Roc's Cape and dragged the boy out of the room with Kaepora following, carrying the cage.

She slashed her way past the swarming bokoblins while trying to keep the boy out of harm's way. They were soon outside in the jungle and kept running with their enemy chasing after them.

Not too far off, the bokoblin brothers we're working on a contraption. "Uh, what's this suppose to be again?" Ollo asked.

"It's supposed to be a catapult, dummy!"

"And what's it for?"

"I don't know yet, but it'll come to me. Just use your imagination." Oi stared at it for a moment. "You know what's funny, this is the first time we've made this... and yet I'm having a case of deja vu."

"...Yeah, I feel that way too. Maybe we _did_ make a catapult before... Now when was that?" Ollo started scratching his head, but then noticed, just a couple of yards away, Cleo running by with a boy. "Oi, it's that girl! She's getting away!"

Oi turned around and noticed her too. "Oh, no she's not, not this time! Quick Ollo, help me push this thing!"

"But we haven't tested it yet!"

"Ollo, it's either Cleo or bust. Now C'mon!"

"Oh, okay. Whatever you say bro."

The two kids hit a cliff, both Kaepora and Espectro had gotten separated in their rush through the thick shrubbery. Cleo looked around and saw Rio in the distance. "Where are we?"

"I think this is Sugarloaf Mountain," the boy guessed. More screeching was heard, they didn't have much time left and Kaepora was still nowhere to be seen. "Quick, put on the cape!"

"What?"

"Jus' trust me!" Cleo did as he asked. "Now we 'ave to jump!"

"I hope you know what you're doing." The boy held on to Cleo tightly. Closing her eyes, she backed up a little and ran forward, leaping off the thousand foot high cliff. The cape spread out and Cleo felt like she was floating. She was gliding across the bay like a hang-glider as Kaepora appeared and joined her, flying by her side. He had unlatched the cage and the albino capuchin called Espectro climbed onto his back, squeaking.

"There she is Oi, she's flying!"

"Not for long!" Oi placed a large rock on the catapult. "Pull the switch!" Ollo tried it... it didn't work. He shrugged at him. "Ugh, I told you we should have tested it!" Oi climbed on top of the catapult to look more closely. "Honestly, do I have to do everything my-" His sentence was cut short due to a delayed activation. "IT'S NOT SUPPOSE TO GO AT AN ANGLLLLLLLLLLE!" Oi shouted as he plummeted toward the sea.

"Oi, wait for me!" Ollo placed himself on the catapult and launched himself after him. Both of them crashed in the water.

Cleo and the others glided all the way to the top of a ten-story beachside hotel. After landing, she beamed at the boy. "That was cool! Where did you get this?"

"A stranger gave it to me. 'E woz very sick, dyin' even, 'e asked me to keep it safe as a last reques'." He held out his hand. "My name is Paulo, choo saved Espectro an' me, thank you mon."

Cleo shook it. "It's the least I can do, Paulo. So where are your parents? I may need to talk to them."

Paulo's face fell. "I got separated from them in a shipwreck, I washed ashore to Rio not long ago. Then I met Espectro." At that, the capuchin chirped.

"Paulo, I wish I could help you find your mom and dad. But I really need _your_ help."

"Now really, Cleo!" Kaepora scolded. "Asking a boy so soon after he lost-"

"Kae, this boy is important. Remember what the Don said about the diamond suit guy? Ghirahim wanted Paulo dead and I know why. This boy is one of the eight sages and somehow, he knew it!"

"Still, you need to be more compassionate than that. I'm rather surprised at you tossing aside your empathy when you threatened the Don like that."

"I was just bluffing!"

"Were you?" Kaepora asked seriously. Cleo didn't answer, she just looked away.

"Am I really... a sage?" Paulo asked.

Cleo turned to him. "You may not realize it yet, but you will soon." Espectro climbed up onto Paulo's shoulder as the boy nodded in understanding.

* * *

"What... did... you... say!? Doth my ears deceive me? Has the blackest winds managed to flap my mis-matched lobes, because I thought you said that... they got away. Tell me I'm wrong... Tell me right now that, for the first time in my glorious immortal life, I am WRONG!"

"We's underestimated the girl," the Don explained. "You's didn't tell us she could squeeze between bars or in vents!"

"Can she? Well, that's news to _me!_ How is it she can do _that?_"

"I's don't know, but she won't get away this time! I assure you, it will _not_ happen again."

Ghirahim, who was in his fancy Vegas style suit, stood in the shadows giving his hair a little brush with his fingers. "Yes... I know..."

A guard who was standing just outside the room thought he heard a sickening grunt. Then Ghirahim strolled right out the door. "What happened?" the guard asked.

"Your boss is taking a little nap," Ghirahim answered boredly. _No big loss,_ he added to himself. _I didn't intend to pay him anyway, human stupidity is so easy to manipulate... I _am_ flabbergasted by the girl's strange new ability, though... Now my head won't stop buzzing like a pesky bee as to how-_

"Lord Ghirahim!" a bokoblin interrupted, running up to him.

"What is it, _now?_"

"I just received news from the island that your palace is being infiltrated!"

Ghirahim stopped strolling and looked at his minion with irritation, making the bokoblin flinch. "By _who?_"

* * *

Cleo and the others flew back to the statue of Christ the Redeemer, the area was closed by the time they arrived so they were guaranteed no one would witness what would happen here. They were wrong of course because not too far from there, the Chinese archeologist was on his way to the same destination and was sure he saw the same girl from earlier gliding overhead.

"So where's the portal?" Paulo asked after arriving.

"I was told it was suppose to be underneath the statue," answered Cleo.

"Choo serious mon?"

"'Scuse me Jesus, I need you to scooch over." Cleo pressed her hands against the plinth, her bracelets glinting in the sunlight, and pushed with all her might. Very slowly, the statue moved in a loud rumble while Paulo watched with wide-eyed, open-mouthed astonishment. The spell circle was soon revealed as the plinth slid away and once it was completely exposed, she dropped on her rear in exhaustion. "_Whoo!_ Would it be blasphemous if I told him he needed to lose weight?"

They all stood in the circle and Cleo played the Song of the Heroes. It was then that the archeologist showed up, ascending the stairs a slight distance away, as she finished. His eyes met hers before the girl and her party were surrounded in a swirl of color, light and sound... and then they were gone.

"They... vanished!"

* * *

They found themselves in a foggy place, standing in what appeared to be a village ruin, a strong, chilly wind blowing their hair about. Espectro clung onto Paulo tightly, not wanting to be blown away. "Where are we?" Paulo asked.

"I don't know, _somewhere_ in Hyrule. Kae, it was that man again."

"Yes Cleo, I noticed that."

"I _knew_ that guy was following us! But why is he? He seems really suspicious for an archeologist."

"Let's not worry about it now, hoo hoo!" The wind died down and the fog began to clear. They explored the ruins that apparently had not been inhabited for eons and there were no birds chirping or insects buzzing or butterflies fluttering by. Everything was still and quiet. They came to a cliff where they could see a virtually endless sky and a rotting dock jutting out from the edge. Below, they saw nothing but clouds. "I never thought I'd return here someday..."

Hearing that, Cleo realized they were in Skyloft, or what was left of it. Kaepora told them that the temple lay in the huge mountain of clouds. He flew them into the mass, but not before Cleo looked back at the once beautiful floating island, suddenly feeling a strange sense of connection.

Once inside, Kaepora had to land on a small island because the magical atmosphere was forcing him back to his original size. There was a trail of small islands they would have to hop across, with some gaps requiring the cape. Link awaited Cleo there ("How did you get up-" "Cannon") to teach her the back slice.

Soon they reached the Sanctuary of Winds. The many rooms were connected to outdoor walkways and sometimes the wind got so strong it would blow Cleo off. She equipped the iron boots to walk across with both boy and monkey clinging to her. Some puzzles and obstacles required her clawshot and the pair's assistance, like some multiple switches needing all three of them to activate at once. Cleo soon found the Air Boomerang and then a big key after battling a thunderbird. Then it was time to meet the next guardian of the temple.

They came to another walkway leading to a ring shaped platform. Paulo and Espectro stayed at the entrance while Cleo walked onto the platform. The walkway crumbled down into the abyss as soon as she was on the ring. Then a gigantic Peahat with four piranha plant like appendages appeared in the center.

**Carnivorous Tillandsia:**  
**Ventulandla**


	25. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 24

Ventulandla was floating in the air with a leaf propeller as the four appendages began to snap, trying to snag Cleo. It lifted itself higher in the air and opened up it's bottom propeller, it's long triangular leaves razor sharp. She had to duck to avoid getting slashed. She got back up and, focusing on her targets, threw the boomerang at the piranha plant arms to cut them off. Then it lowered itself until she could see the stigma sitting on top, so she leapt on the plant to slash away at it. The appendages grew back, grabbed her and tossed her. The ring platform was wide enough for Cleo to slow down her tumbling and grab the edge before she could fall off. She had to repeat the whole process two more times (this time with sprouted mini-peahats attacking her) to finish the fight.

Cleo jumped right off after giving the final blow. It shot up in the air like a deflating balloon and fell down gently, withering away. A stone floor magically formed to fill the gap in the middle and the fallen pathway reappeared letting Paulo and Espectro cross.

"So what now, mon?"

"Just touch the floor here and a new circle will appear," Cleo answered.

Paulo did as suggested, but when he did... nothing happened. "Choo sure that's how it works?"

"Try again," she encouraged. He touched the floor a second time... still nothing.

"Oh dear, did we bring the wrong person?" Kaepora asked.

Cleo palmed herself. "_Aw man!_ Are you kidding me?" Just then, Espectro decided to mimic the boy and the moment he did, the spell circle finally revealed itself. All of them looked at the monkey in astonishment as he stood there, raising a hand. _Eek ook eek!_ he attempted to speak. "The monkey's the sage!"

Cleo put on the fox mask and approached Espectro. "Hee hee, took you long enough to figure it out," he chuckled. "Yes, I _am_ the real sage. That sick man may have given Paulo the Roc's Cape, but he gave _me_ his sage's spirit. Having a sixth sense, I was aware of it the moment it happened. The reason the boy was here was because I needed him to deliver me to you. I did not want him to come along to Hyrule because of the confusion, of course, but I had no way of telling you that."

"I see... so what is the next virtue I must embrace?"

"Compassion, that is what you need to learn. Never again toss it aside, even when facing your enemy."

"But the Don-"

"I feel no hate for him, only pity. I have already forgiven him."

Cleo didn't argue with Espectro. She took off the mask and positioned herself, pulling out the piccolo. She played the next part of the Ballad of Awakening as follows: G. Then the circle became brighter as she felt the spirit of the sage flow into her. She pulled out the Master Sword, which was now giving off a stronger glow, and held it up.

* * *

_Spiritual potential and memory restoration output: 40%_

* * *

Cleo put away the sword. "Espectro needs to stay here for now Paulo. I'm sorry I dragged you here, let's take you back."

But Paulo shook his head. "If Espectro's stayin', I'm stayin' too. 'E needs company."

"Are you sure you'll be alright here?"

"We'll be fine, Cleo. Go on wiv your mission."

"I promise I'll help you find your parents as soon as this is all over, hopefully in time for Christmas." Paulo smiled and nodded in response. And then, with his magic, Espectro sent Cleo and Kaepora up into the bright light.

* * *

Deep in the Palace of Diamonds, the skull kid was sneaking his way around the hallways. He shimmied across a wall and looked around a corner to see if there were monsters around. He was sure he'd seen that same vase before, two hallways ago. "Darn, this place is like a maze." He crossed his arms, thinking. "This is weird, taking a left turn every time usually always helps. I think I'm going in circles. Gaa!" He clutched his head in frustration. "I've never gotten lost before, this is embarrassing!"

"Did you hear that?" SK heard someone say from yet another hallway. He quickly hid himself before a few bokoblins walked by. "I could've sworn I heard that skull kid intruder."

"It's a slippery one all right," another one replied. "Giving us a wild goose chase. What's it doing here anyway?"

"I don't know, but we'd best go check on the prisoner, just in case." The group went off down a hallway and SK decided to follow them, now knowing they will lead him to his destination. "Speaking of goose chase, have you noticed Oi and Ollo acting strange lately. Well, strange-_er_"

"What do you mean strange-_er_?"

The first bokoblin gestured for the other to come closer. "Remember those rumors of where the pair came from?"

"You mean about them not always having been bokoblins?"

The third bokoblin suddenly hushed them. "We're not suppose to talk about it or the boss'll have our heads. It's forbidden."

"Fine fine" They continued to follow a route they knew by heart, in silence. SK was a little disappointed by the interruption, the story sounded interesting and he hadn't heard a good one in a long while. "Well, here we are." They had arrived at the dungeons and unlocked the door. As soon as they did, SK blew his large flute and the bokoblins were overwhelmed with attacking marionettes. They were unprepared, one of them was slain and the other two were forced to retreat.

After they were gone, SK picked up a bunch of keys from the dead bokoblin and ran into the dungeons to find Princess Zelda, checking cell after cell until... "SK?" a voice called out. Zelda was standing at the bars, looking surprised by the skull kid's sudden appearance. SK ran up to her. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to rescue you!" he piped a little excitedly, as he started trying each of the keys.

"That's very kind of you, but you shouldn't have come here. You could get killed."

SK found the right one and opened the door. "Hey, you forget. I live for danger. Now lets get you outta... ...Someone's behind me isn't there?" SK guessed, seeing the look of horror on Zelda's face. He turned around to face what was clearly "the boss", leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and looking sour.

"Ghirahim!" Zelda gasped.

"I was summoned back just to take care of a pesky skull kid? Of all the measly things that walk upon this earth to sneak into my abode. Still... I'm surprised you made it this far. Let's see if you can actually put up a fight." He took a step forward... and his foot suddenly caught on fire.

"C'mon!" SK grabbed Zelda and ran while more flames erupted and Ghirahim was angrily trying to put it out. "I dropped some ember seeds!" SK explained as Zelda opened her mouth to ask what just happened. They raced through the palace, avoiding monsters and getting turned around again.

It wasn't long before Ghirahim showed up again, livid. "You nasty little scamp! Give me the princess now or your head will roll!" SK reached into a pouch and threw one seed at him. There was a flash of blinding light, stunning his target, then he quickly threw another and Ghirahim was swept away in a gale. He hit the wall with a yelp of surprise.

"Take that you white devil!" SK shouted before running away with Zelda.

Ghirahim got back up, his once sleek hair now a mess. "That's it! NO ONE! MESSES! WITH THE DO!" SK and Zelda kept on running until they reached a window and made a daring escape with a magic deku leaf. "NO! Bokoblins, chase them down! Find them!"

* * *

Cleo returned to the Rio mountains, the Christ statue was already back into place. There was no sign of the archeologist this time, he must've checked out the spell circle, then left. "Right, time to call Joseph again." She pressed the speed dial for Joseph Newborn.

"You ready for the next clue Cleopatra?" he asked the moment he picked up. After hearing a "yes" he continued. "Okay, here it is: 'go to the hills where a dragon of stone bores through the earth and it's head reaches the sea, nearby is a temple of twelve spirits possessing a light that will guide you into the dragon's mouth.' Crazy thing to do if you ask me."

"Well if I _have_ to feed myself to a dragon, I pretty much don't have a choice."

"Just try not to die, okay. I've yet to beat you at baseball, you know." Without bothering to say goodbye, Cleo hung up.

* * *

After some hard thinking of where to go next ("Now where can I find a stone dragon?"), her mind wandered back to where the Chinese archeologist might have gone and then the answer hit her.

She took off on Kaepora and flew over the pacific. It was a long trip, but eventually they reached Asia and continued to soar over the lands until they came across the Great Wall of China. "Looks like your guess is correct," said Kae. "That wall must be the dragon we're looking for."

"What about the temple though?" Cleo asked.

"I'm sure it's near the head. We'll just have to look around, hoo hoo!"

Cleo decided to take a rest stop in Beijing. It was cold, but the market was crowded. As she passed through the streets, an exotic food vendor held up a stick with skewered scorpions in front of her making her jump. They were still wriggling, but the vendor was smiling as though he was offering candy. "Xiēzi shàng yī bàng? Nǐ xiǎng chángshì ma? Shì shì ba."

'N-no thanks!" Cleo politely backed away, not understanding a word he was saying.

"I don't know Cleo, those look tasty," Kaepora commented.

"You sound like dad," she replied shortly. She could just picture her father standing next to her with a grin, saying "Now how would you know you don't like it until you try it?" Cleo wasn't paying attention to where she was going and nearly crashed into someone. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean-" she stopped short when she saw a familiar tool bag. She didn't even have to look at the guy's face to know who it was. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Oh, there you are!" said the archeologist with a laugh. "I was looking for you."


	26. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days3) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

_**PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU READ THE CHAPTER:**_ The Jackie Chan in this fanfic is not the real life actor, he's the fictional counterpart from the Jackie Chan Adventures animated series.

* * *

Chapter 25

The archeologist wanted to talk to Cleo about something, he offered her something to eat and firmly insisted on buying. They got some chicken on a stick and soda and managed to find a place to sit in the crowded street. They ate for a little bit before he started. "Now I know I have not properly introduced myself to you yet. It is time that I do. My name is Jackie Chan."

"Cleo Hayster," returned Cleo Hayster. "Listen, I don't wanna sound rude or anything, but being tailed by a guy everywhere I go is getting kinda annoying."

"I completely understand, I _do_ owe you an explanation. You see, it is my job to learn about our ancient past and the things _you_ keep coming across are some of the most remarkable discoveries in history."

"Yeah, that's great and all, but I'm afraid you're not suppose to be involved in any of this. You don't know what's going on."

"I do... I will not deny that I overheard the prophecy back in Mexico." Cleo gave him an open-mouthed scoff. "I meant no offence!" Jackie added quickly.

"If you know about the possible danger, why do you keep following."

"Well, this is not the first time I have run into danger or situations completely out of the ordinary. Believe me, I have had my fair share." Cleo kept staring at him, as though waiting for a straight answer. "I _did_ lose you in Rio, I never found out where you went... and yet I decided to come back to China, somehow I knew you would be here." Now she was giving him a weird look. "What?"

Cleo pointed at him. "_That..._ right there, totally kills the story. 'Somehow, you knew'? How? It seems more like someone told you. Just who told you I'd be here anyway, Ghirahim?"

"Who? Oh, you mean the one who is trying to- No no, of course not!"

"Ghirahim has collaborated with humans before. How do I know you're not a spy pretending to be an archeologist."

"Really? Do I look like an actor to you?"

"Well, you're no Robin Williams, but still, I'm not taking chances with you. I'm leaving!" She got up.

"Wait Cleo! Please let me explain!" But Cleo rounded on Jackie before he could.

"Stop! Following me!" she snapped. She walked away, down a dark narrow sidestreet and when she did, Cleo heard a drawling devious chuckle that sent a chill down her spine. She looked up to see her greatest enemy standing on a fire escape railing.

Jackie Chan turned up again and Ghirahim began slowly clapping. "Bravo bravo, Jackie Chan, for the wonderful news of her whereabouts."

Cleo glared at Jackie. "I do not even know him!" he protested.

Ghirahim unleashed a gust strong enough to shove Kaepora out of the sidestreet, then walls of diamonds formed on both ends. "We wouldn't want that blathering featherball to interfere, now would we."

"Who is we?"

"Don't play innocent, Jackie!" Cleo spat. "You were working for him the whole time!"

"Indeed," Ghirahim laughed. He leapt down cat-like. "But alas, I have no more use for you." He snapped his fingers to summon his rapier, then he lunged at Jackie. Cleo, however, quickly sidestepped with her shield up and blocked the attack. "What?"

"I won't let you kill your own spy!"

"I am not his-"

"I don't have time to argue with you! Just go hide!" Jackie was reluctant, but did as Cleo said. "Now it's just you and me!"

"Cleo, be careful!" Kaepora called out.

"Well well, somebody's in a hurry to die. It makes me all bubbly knowing I'll finally end the ephemeral life of an ingenue." His mantle disappeared, then he summoned another rapier. Cleo charged in to attack. Ghirahim parried and shoved her back, then shot daggers at her, she struck them away. He charged at her, but she countered with the shield attack, then a back slice. He staggered. "I see you've gotten better..." He pulled back a loose strand of hair. "But your skills are still insignificant compared to mine." He made a shooting leap and vanished. Cleo looked around for him, not realizing what was coming. Ghirahim shot back down unexpectedly, blades down, knocking her to the ground. She lost her grip on the Master Sword and before she could grab it, he kicked it away.

Ghirahim was about to finish her when a trash can flew at him. He turned around and saw Jackie Chan looking serious. "You leave her alone Ghirahim." He got into a fighting stance.

"Oh, so you know how to fight do you? Well, just for fun, I'll only use my hands. That's more than enough to crush you." The blades disappeared and Ghirahim's arms began to change as he talked. The white skin and gloves disappeared, revealing muscles made of what appeared to be black metal, almost like he's some kind of golem. "Let's see what you can do, Jackie Chan!"

From the ground Cleo couldn't catch all the action, they were moving so fast in hand to hand combat, although Jackie occasionally used random objects like a crate or a mop and bucket as weapons. She was just a little surprised that the archeologist knew martial arts. Ghirahim, with his metal arms smacked Jackie, knocking him onto the ladder, then grabbed his throat. The demon licked his lips, his pupils growing, and Jackie, thinking quickly, grabbed the long tongue, gave it a good yank, and slapped it onto the frozen metal ladder. "That is for framing me!" he scolded at the stuck villain.

The diamond walls vanished. Jackie ran, helped Cleo up, and retrieved her Master Sword. "What are you doing?" she asked, bewilderedly.

"Trying to save _you!_" He dragged her out of the sidestreet as Ghirahim pulled himself free. They were out of his sight by the time he looked around and teleported.

* * *

Oi was standing on the roof of a mall with a telescope in hand. He spotted fireworks shoot up and explode into the shape of a diamond. "Looks like the boss is in trouble!" He went over to his catapult which had a small crafted airplane on top. After a few quick checks, he noticed there was something missing. "Now _where_ is Ollo?"

Somewhere in the top floor, Ollo was uncontrollably smashing barrels with a hammer until it disappeared. He hopped over the rest of the rolling barrels until he got hit and died. GAME OVER! "Oh my gods! I pressed jump! IpressedjumpIpressedjumpIpressedjumpIpress-" He was suddenly dragged out of the arcade by Oi. "C'mon bro, one more time!"

"We don't have time for games, the boss says now!"

"But I haven't tried Fix-it Felix Jr. yet!"

* * *

Other bokoblins saw the signal and one of them blew the horn. The entire hoard came out of their hiding places in the shopping street to chase after Cleo and Jackie. People started running and screaming upon seeing them. The duo were getting surrounded by so many bokoblins that they couldn't take them all. Jackie grabbed a bicycle from a stunned China man, saying "Duìbùqǐ, wǒ huì dàizhe zhè huí, xièxiè nǐ!" The bokoblins swarmed in on him, so he parried and countered with the bike. He got on it and jumped up from the seat to do a spin attack with the bike, knocking the bokoblins to the ground. "Get on!" Cleo stared curiously at him. "What are you waiting for?"

Cleo hopped on the back and Jackie pedaled as hard as he could. The swarm was shrinking behind them and disappeared as they turned onto the main road. They thought they were home free, but then... BOOM! A bomb fell out of nowhere and nearly hit them. They looked up to see the airplane flying overhead with Oi and Ollo on it, bombs in hand. "That's the end of the line for _you_ blondie!" They threw the bombs down. BOOM, BOOM! Jackie serpentined to avoid the explosions. Then Kaepora swooped up and landed on the brothers. "Hey, gerroff feather brain!" He took off again and Oi looked ahead to see a bridge approaching. "GYAAAA!"

He tried to pull up and ended up smashing through the guard rails and skittering across the top, the plane hit the second rail and flipped over, sending them nose-diving. They landed on the windshield of a passing car, causing it to swerve out of control and crash into a ditch.

* * *

Jackie and Cleo rode on with Kaepora following until they reached the Temple of Heaven. They got off and entered the building, Cleo looked around. "What are we doing here?"

"This is supposed to be a holy place. I do not think demons can come here, we will be safe here."

"Just what was that all about?" she asked, pointing her thumb over her shoulder. "You have some kind of guilty conscience?"

Jackie sighed. "I told you... I am _not_ with Ghirahim. I would never work for someone _that_ gaga or do anything to hurt you."

"Gaga doesn't do him justice. Plus, I hardly know you, you can't blame me for having a bad first impression." She looked around again. "Kae, do you feel that?" she whispered.

"Yes I do," he whispered back. "It feels just like Hylian air. I believe this is the temple we're looking for."

"Jackie, I need my sword back."

"Wha- oh, right." He realized he was still holding on to it in his belt. He gave it back. "This is the Master Sword isn't it? I knew I recognized it, my niece Jade plays Zelda sometimes. She would flip, big time, if she saw this." He noticed Cleo pointing her sword around. "What are you doing?"

"Dowsing, and I need to concentrate." After a bit, Cleo seemed to have found something. It started blinking when it pointed at the center of the circular bricked floor, just before the stone stairs. She held the sword skyward and it started glowing, then she pointed and thrust it downward. The glow shot down into the floor and the Hylian crest appeared. A column of light shot up into the domed ceiling and the twelve buttresses above red columns slid away revealing openings in which animals holding crystal switches appeared. "Twelve animals... twelve spirits!"

"These are zodiac animals, but it is not right. They are all in the wrong order," Jackie pointed out.

"I think I know what to do. Which animal comes first?"

"The rat." Cleo pulled out her boomerang and focused her entire mind on the right order, from rat to pig. She threw and the boomerang hit the switches in perfect order. The center of the floor opened up and a new small column slid up. On top was a lantern. "That is it?" he asked, bewilderedly. He picked it up to examine it. "Ah!" He nearly dropped it, clutching his head. He fell to his knees as though in pain.

"Jackie, are you alright?" she asked in concern.

He blinked for a bit, then got back up. "Cleo... we need to go to the Dragon's Head right away."

"Where did that come from?" Cleo thought of something. "Hang on... don't tell me _you're_ the next sage," she said, skeptically.

He turned back to her, looking serious. "Cleo... I am asking you to trust me... please."

After a second or two of reflection, she finally nodded.


	27. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 26

They flew along the path of the great wall, heading back toward the sea. The end of the wall was a small fortress with several more yards of stone walkway standing out over the water just off the beach. They landed on the walkway and slid off Kaepora. Jackie moaned a bit, his hand on his back.

"You okay, Jackie?" Cleo asked sympathetically.

"I am just not as young as I once was."

"I can see four torches on this walkway," Kaepora pointed out. "Most likely you need to use the Celestial Lantern on them to reveal the portal, hoo hoo!"

"But surely these torches have been lit many times before," Cleo commented.

"Yes, but only the lantern will have the proper effect," Jackie explained, already having gained the knowledge of this place after his awakening as a sage.

"Good point." Cleo pulled it out. Jackie provided a lighter, saying she could have it for whenever she needed it. With the lantern aflame, she walked around the border until all four torches were lit. Then, in a bright flash, the entire fortress changed shape into an actual stone dragon's head, which slowly opened it's mouth wide enough for a person to stand in.

They climbed down into the mouth and could see the spell circle. Standing in it, Cleo turned back to Jackie Chan. "You ready?"

"Ready as I will ever be." He placed a hand on her shoulder. With that, she played the Song of the Heroes and was soon surrounded in a swirl of color, light and sound.

* * *

They found themselves at a chain of mountains (some of them volcanic) alongside an ocean and the Sanctuary of Fire was not too far off. On the way, they found Beedle's caravan again where Cleo resupplied. For being a good customer, she was given a free bottle as a gift. Then she met Link again and was taught the helm splitter (not exactly an easy move to pull off). "I just got a call from Zelda," he added. "She said she's fine now, SK's with her. I don't know how, but he managed to rescue her and they're currently in hiding."

Cleo laughed out loud. "I can always count on that crazy son of a gun!"

"She said you need to continue with the quest and not to worry for her." Pleased to hear the good news, Cleo and her friends continued onto the sanctuary.

The place looked very much like the great wall, a long structure that wound across the mountainside, but considerably wider. Inside, the first thing they saw was a small boat sitting in a canal leading deeper into the dungeon and they traveled the majority of the route by boat. There were many fire traps and metal gates blocking the path, so they would either have to go into side rooms or jump into the water to activate switches. The gates were only open when a chain remained pulled out of the wall and the fire deactivated only temporarily. Jackie was the one to remove the obstacles while Cleo moved the boat past them, then he would race against the reclosing gate or swim under the fire to rejoin Cleo. The side rooms would have fire mazes, beamos, armos, and an assortment of fire based enemies. Along the way she got the bomb cannon and then faced two Flair Dancers with Jackie's help to gain the big key.

Finally, they arrived at the last gate, unlocked by the key, which lead them to a much wider and straighter canal, with a rather powerful current. A large, sinister ship appeared alongside their boat with a crew of armored phantoms.

**Cursed Vessel of Lost Spirits:**  
**Phantom Devil**

The ship fired at them with arrows and bombs, Cleo fired back with the cannon. When she managed enough hits, the phantoms would clear away and she would get onboard with the clawshot and attack the crew. One phantom would get on Cleo's boat to attack Jackie who countered by disarming it and using it's weapon against it, knocking it in the water. When things got too hectic, Cleo jumped back on the boat and the process repeated itself. Then the captain would appear (who was Gomess), calling her out. She got on board again to face him, but he became invisible. After getting hit a few times, she saw torches and decided to light them. The flames revealed him and she attacked, avoiding his spinning scythe. After having to reignite the torches and continuing the fight, she finished him.

After Gomess' passing, the ship started sinking, but Cleo was already back on her boat. The current slowed down and they approached and docked at a stone pier. There was a doorway leading to a circular room surrounded by wall torches (they were already lit). Then Jackie bent down to touch the floor and the spell circle formed around them. "The virtue you must embrace next is trust."

"Right..." There was something on her mind, but it had to wait. With the Spirit Piccolo and Kaepora's guidance, she played the following notes: F E F. Then the circle became brighter as she felt the spirit of the sage flow into her. She pulled out the Master Sword, which was now giving off a stronger glow, and held it up.

* * *

_Spiritual potential and memory restoration output: 50%_

* * *

Cleo put away her sword. "Jackie... you were a great help... thank you."

Jackie smiled. "I know what is on your mind, you do not have to say it."

"Jackie, I'm sorry!" she blurted out suddenly. "For ever suspecting you. I made a poor judgment and I should've realized that you're really the-"

He placed his hands on her shoulders before she could finish. "You are a good kid, there is no need to apologize. You trusted in me and I am grateful. I know it is not easy to trust in people you might not know, but it is not knowing how to trust that is important, it is knowing who."

Cleo smiled back. "Thanks again, Jackie Chan."

"I will not be following you anymore. It is time I sent you back." And then, with his magic, Jackie sent Cleo and Kaepora up into the bright light.

* * *

After arriving back to her world she called Joseph again. This was his answer: "Travel west to a monument of eternal beauty, there an empress sleeps in the chamber of the portal." With that, Cleo and Kaepora took off across Asia. The place they flew to was a village in India, a jumble of both old mud brick houses and modern buildings, and there was a bazaar. It was not nearly as crowded as Beijing and Cleo, despite knowing the important objective, decided to look around.

"You say the Taj Mahal is our next destination, yet you stopped here. Why is that?" Kaepora asked.

"...I'm not sure... something tells me I should come here. I know I have to find the next sage, not just the portal."

"And what makes you think the sage will be here?"

"I just have a feeling." Cleo couldn't explain it, but somehow she knew the sage was close. Perhaps the sages gave off a special energy that she was now beginning to sense. She wondered if that was how Ghirahim was able to find them so easily.

"Would you like some jewelry, young lady?" a shop owner offered, snapping Cleo out of her thoughts. "How about a pretty circlet? It brings out your eyes!"

"Thanks, but I already collected three..." Both Cleo's gaze and voice trailed off. She looked past the sales man, through the gazebo tent. On the other side, was a woman with piercing amber eyes, staring back at her. She turned away and walked off. "Wait!" Cleo called out as she tried to find her way around the tents, not daring to take her eyes off and risk losing sight of the woman. She squeezed past gaps and pushed past people, trying to keep up. "Wait!" she called again.

She crashed into someone, a man, and fell on her rear. "Oh! So sorry!" he apologized. "Here, let me help you up." The stranger went behind her and did as promised.

"Sir, I'm kinda in a hurry!" she said urgently.

"Yes, I see. Again I am very sorry, let me get out of your way." He backed up with his hands behind his back, then disappeared.

Cleo looked around, but there was not a trace of the amber-eyed woman anywhere. "We lost her," she sighed in disappointment.

"That woman you were chasing, she's the sage isn't she? HOO!"

"What?"

"Cleo, the Master Sword! It's gone!"

She turned her head to look, sure enough, there was no trace of a blue handle. "Oh my God! Are you serious?! How-" Then she realized. "That guy! He took it, I'm sure of it!" She knew there was something odd about him. She immediately took off in the direction he'd slinked away. "I can't believe I let this happen! What else could go wrong!" In an ironic jinx, she got her answer. Before she knew what hit her, there was an ambush. Bokoblins appeared out of nowhere and jumped her. She was hit from behind and fell to the ground, the last thing she heard was the panicked screech of Kaepora mixed with the devious laughter of the bokoblins' victory before she blacked out.

* * *

_... ... ...Cleo... ...Cleo... the time is coming Cleo... ...time to awaken..._

A voice was calling to her, a voice she hadn't heard before... it sounded strange... sounded... alien...

_...It's time Cleo... ... you must awaken..._

Alien... except... it was also... strangely... familiar...

Cleo opened her eyes... everything was blurry and brown at first and she felt her head throbbing. But soon, she regained focus and took in her new surroundings. She was in a mud-bricked room with an opening that was blocked by a makeshift wooden cage door. On the other side was a bokoblin guarding. She noticed it was dark outside and realized she'd been out longer than she thought. Cleo was a prisoner.

"Kaepora?" There was no answer, nor was there any sign of the owl. She marched to the door. "Hey, where's my friend, Kae?" But the guard only responded back with a grunt. "Fine, don't talk to me!" She walked away and checked her backpack. Her heart fell, it was nearly empty, all of her equipment was gone. The only things they didn't take was the snowglobe, deflated beach ball, a dragon kite she'd picked up in Beijing, and... the fox mask! Why didn't they take _this?_ Either they overlooked it or they thought it was just an ordinary mask.

Grinning at her amazing luck, Cleo put it on, away from the guard's eyes. Because of the bokoblin and the tightly constructed door, she sniffed around for another way out. She picked up the scent of soft soil and pushed a crate aside. The hard ground was cracked, she pawed at it, scraping away the floor until the hole became big enough to dig. It wasn't long before she was out, the only problem was getting everything back, including the owl.


	28. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

The sage in this chapter is baced off of the Afghan girl.

* * *

Chapter 27

The whole town was like a maze, with narrow passageways, dead end streets, and no signs that she could read (they were all in Hindi). Without her sword, Cleo could only defend herself as a fox. She had to avoid a fight with the bokoblins if she could, even though there were so many, strolling around the place. They had completely overtaken the village, with wood and iron caged walls and watch towers added. There were no signs of any of the citizens, and Cleo began to wonder with worry what had happened to them.

She snuck her way past the enemies to various places until she found one guarding a treasure chest. Then she attacked it to claim the treasure and regain a piece of her equipment. Then she used that equipment to get past other obstacles and more enemies to get to the other chests. She found a feather and gained the familiar scent of Kaepora to follow. Finally, she found him in a room, caged up and being poked with sharp objects by those monsters as they laughed away. "Now really!" Kae shouted. "This is obviously animal cruelty!"

"Kae!" Cleo couldn't get through the cage door, so she rounded the building, climbed up some boxes and leapt through a window. The bokoblins noticed her and stared at her with confusion, wondering what in the world a fox was doing here. Hackles raised, teeth bared, she charged and tackled one of them. Sharp canines to the neck ended it quickly, then she focused on the others who began surrounding her, their machetes ready. Cleo took them on one at a time with claws and teeth and finished the last three with a tail spin attack. She removed the mask and freed Kaepora from his cage. "Where are the citizens?"

"A lot of them have been captured by the horde. I heard they're being held for ransom."

"But I was already their prisoner!"

"It's not you they're after, it's the sage."

"They haven't captured the sage yet?" She was a bit relieved, but she was still worried for the people. "We gotta go rescue them!"

"Hoo! Hold on a moment, you still don't have your sword!" But Cleo ignored him and went upstairs and through the rooftop doors. She surveyed her surroundings. "You don't even know where the thief is."

"It's that way," Cleo immediately concluded, pointing out the direction.

Kaepora stared at her. "Hoo hoo? Now _how_ could you possibly know that?"

"I just know it's there. I can feel it... like it's a part of me..."

"You're acting strangely lately Cleo... but I guess maybe the reason you feel connected with the Master Sword is because of it's rising potential over the course of this journey."

"Well, whatever the reason, it's proving helpful." Cleo went back to being a fox and followed her instincts with the rejoined Kaepora. Hopping from rooftop to rooftop, crossing planks and clothesline, she suddenly heard screaming. The voice sounded familiar. "It's the thief!" She looked down in the streets and saw him surrounded by the enemy.

"Stay back! Stay back!" he warned in a terrified voice, brandishing the sword he'd stolen. They were closing in. Taking the mask off, Cleo jumped down, rolled upon landing right beside him, knocked the Master Sword out of his hand to regain it, and instantly struck at them. After dealing with them, she turned to the thief who kneeled. "Please don't hurt me! I have a family!"

"You shouldn't steal from others! It's not right!" she scolded.

"I know it's not... I am so sorry... Try to understand, I had no choice. My daughter is gravely sick and we are in poverty. My wife and I, we cannot bear to lose her..."

Cleo's face softened, she could tell he was telling the truth, his words were sincere. "I forgive you. I'll help you if I can, most likely your family is imprisoned somewhere. Let's go find them."

They snuck their way through town to find the prisoners, even with the sword back, Cleo knew not to seek a battle before saving them. They soon found them at a square, all bound and surrounded by the bokoblins. There was a bonfire blazing before them and standing in front of it was the most sinister of the hoard Cleo had ever seen. He was green skinned instead of the usual red or blue, and he wore tribal paints, a skull, and bones, one of them through his nose.

"I am Alo! And from now on, you will all be slaves for the dark one! A new era will dawn soon, an era where we, the mighty warrior race, shall rule!" All the other bokoblins started stamping their feet in rhythm with their low chanting. "But before we employ you to your servitude, we must first find one of the eight sages, who happens to be living among you! So _where_ are you? Stand up so I can see you!" No one in the frightened crowd stood. "Fine, if the cowardly sage won't reveal himself." He approached the crowd, who tried to recoil as best they could. He reached in and grabbed a little girl, a weak and sickly looking girl.

Cleo, who had been watching from her hiding place, felt the thief lurch forward. She grabbed him. "Wait, we need a plan."

"Not her... not her..." he gasped out in terrible dread.

"We can't jump in yet, there are too many. We have to find a way to disperse them."

"If you don't come out now, I'll kill every child one by one, starting with _her!_" Alo snarled, holding the machete dangerously close to the girl.

"Wait!" a woman's voice called out. All heads turned toward the source and their gaze fell on the woman who stood up, the woman with amber eyes. "I am the sage... I am the one you seek... please don't hurt her."

"Prove it."

"You _have_ my word."

"That's not good enough! I said prove it!"

"I cannot."

Alo gave a sinister smile. "You just sealed her fate." He was about to swing the machete down on the girl when... BOOM! everyone looked up at the sky. BOOM BOOM! BOOM! Explosions erupted and a huge winged shadow with fire from its mouth, trailing behind, flew overhead.

"Dragon! DRAGON!" The bokoblins started panicking and running for their lives, leaving the still bound citizens behind.

"Come back you cowards!" Alo bellowed at them. He got out a knife and threw it at one of his own, killing it. He heard a harsh cough and noticed the girl was trying to crawl away. "Where do you think you're going, maggot?" He grabbed her ankle and a red, furry beast jumped out of the darkness, latching jaws onto his arm. He threw it off and the fox stood between him and the girl, ready to fight. "Your pet? I'll make you wish you'd never had one." He swung the machete wildly at it, which it swiftly dodged and countered. "Vicious thing, that. I'll make a rug out of you!" After a few more fast clashes, Alo managed to land a blow in the face so hard, that it actually knocked the mask off, revealing Cleo. "What?!"

She stood up and drew her sword. "You've forced this injustice on these people long enough!"

After staring at Cleo in puzzlement, he let out a horrible laugh. "How long have you been able to turn into an animal? Is that how you've been able to slip by us all this time? I'll need to report that to the boss."

"Just where _is_ your boss anyway? Why isn't he here?"

"He's a busy man, trying to take care of some unfinished business."

"What unfinished business is there besides me? Does it have something to do with this 'dark one' you mentioned?"

"You're pretty quick for a brat. But I won't be spoiling anything more to the likes of you." So Cleo was right, Ghirahim was not working alone. The prophecy had mention the 'great darkness' which meant that there was someone else pulling the strings. She took a step toward Alo. "Not so fast! You're forgetting about the citizens." He pulled out a familiar remote. "Borrowed your little bombchus and placed them within the crowd. Take one more step and they'll blow sky high!" Cleo made a hateful scowl at his evil smirk, forgetting that she too wasn't working alone.

Alo was backing away to make his escape, only to back into somebody instead. He quickly turned around and was face to face with the thief who roughly grabbed him, forced the remote out of his hand, and pinned him to the ground, then pulled out a dagger and thrust it down before Alo had a chance to struggle or counter. The bokoblin flinched and then went limp, no longer moving.

After that, the team went to untie the grateful citizens. The adults surrounded Cleo with praise and free gifts (which she politely refused, although she did reclaim the rest of her stuff from them) while the children were checking out the giant Kaepora, who was still carrying the lantern in his beak. The thief retrieved his daughter and embraced his wife. To Cleo's surprise, he was married to the sage. "Ma'am?"

The woman looked at her with those amber eyes (Gerudian eyes, Cleo was sure) and apperently smiled behind her veil. "You saved us all, thank you... I know you're here for me, child of the prophecy."

"I'm not gonna take you." Cleo sighed. "Child of prophecy or not, I don't want to force you away from your own daughter in her condition." At that, there was sharp, wheezy coughing. The girl, with eyes exactly like her mothers, was so weak, she didn't have the strength to stand. No doubt, she was slowly approaching death. "I wish there was something I could... wait!" Cleo's saddened face lit up. "I have something that can help!" She brought out a bottle with something glowing inside. "I caught this awhile back on my last trip to Hyrule and I know this will work. It saved a friend of mine once."

Cleo held the bottle out to the child and uncorked it, a fairy flew out and zipped around the girl. Color flooded her and her breathing cleared. She stood up, no longer coughing. "Papa, mama, I feel better!"

Her father, upon seeing the miracle, started crying. The family were overjoyed with the cure and the sage gave Cleo a hug in gratitude which made the teen feel nostalgic. "I'll never forget what you've done." Feeling the yearning, Cleo hugged back.

It was time for the sage to leave her family. "Please mama, take me with you!"

Her mother bent down and removed her veil to give her a kiss. "You must stay here and take care of your father."

"...okay."

"Don't worry, guys. She'll be safe with me and she'll be back before you know it," Cleo promised.


	29. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 28

Oi was working on the finishing touches of his catapult that was now equipped with a mantlet and on raised tracks that went around the Taj Mahal. He and his twin had been doing the construction all night, every hour or so, taking turns in working and sleeping. Ollo was snoring away with his thumb in his mouth, holding a makeshift, grotesque looking, teddy bear (if it was a bear at all). Again, Oi was having a feeling of deja vu, but it was interrupted by a horn blast.

He took out his telescope and peered through to see what the commotion was. He spotted a familiar dot on the horizon. "Aha, I knew it! Cleo has escaped. This is just what I expected from my greatest arch nemesis!" He put it away. "Good thing I built this as a precaution. It's official, I'm a genius!" He ran over to Ollo. "Hey, wake up! It's time to..." He paused when he noticed what Ollo was doing, inappropriately age-wise just before he woke up with a big yawn. "I can't believe you still suck your thumb!"

Ollo blinked a bit as he looked back at Oi. "Well... you suck your thumb too."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he responded doggedly. "But never mind that, Cleo's coming! So let's go kick some girly butt."

"What's for breakfast?"

"I'll tell you what: vengeance! And it's coming right up!"

"Vengeance? Yum!" Ollo shouted, suddenly active.

"That's the spirit, Ollo! Now let's go get some!" Oi ran back to the catapult.

"Oh, okay. Whatever you say bro... ... ...What's a vengeance?"

* * *

Cleo could clearly see the horde surrounding the Taj Mahal and had already caught their attention. There was a horn blast and they started shooting arrows at her. "Just what we need, more bokoblins," she groaned flatly.

"It's not safe in the air now. We'll have to land." Kaepora flew down among the trees in the large garden. Looking around they could see the enemy standing guard on the outer walls, across the reflective pool, on the roof of the building and in the four minarets. They also notice the raised tracks with the catapult added to the familiar architecture. "I don't think we'll be able to escort the sage through all that. You might have to take them down while I guard her."

Cleo started rummaging through her backpack. "The catapult might be a problem. I'll need to get up on top of those minarets to do anything about it, but I only have one clawsh... what?!" She pulled out her clawshot and then _another._ "Since _when_ do I have two of 'em? Huh... I guess I must have picked up a second one in the village."

"Hoo hoo! Looks like luck is in your favor."

Cleo climbed off Kaepora and down the tree they were hiding in. "Be careful Cleo," cautioned the sage. Cleo nodded in response and went off to do her errand. She shifted between human and fox for the ground enemies and used arrows on the ones up high. Her skills with a bow had became much better and she was able to hit the minaret guards, but she also had to dodge bombs tossed at her from the catapult.

"Quick Ollo, load another one!"

"When are we going to have some vengeance?" he asked, handing over a bomb.

"Any minute now!"

"Good, I'm hungry."

Cleo used her clawshot to get on top of a minaret, then took out her miniature cannon. "Eat fireballs!" She fired back at them.

"Fireballs? Yum!" Ollo shouted.

"Wait, what?!" Oi asked before he was shaken by the blast erupting close to them. "Evasive maneuvers! Evasive maneuvers!" Ollo did as commanded, moving the catapult along the tracks. Oi kept flinging bombs at Cleo while she chased them down with her pair of clawshots. She fired again, the bomb flew in an arc and was about to land on them. "Abandon ship!" Oi and Ollo jumped off at the last second. The catapult blew up along with a bit of track that had a support beam, causing a chain reaction that collapsed the entire rail.

After the remaining bokoblins had fled, Cleo brought the sage into the Taj Mahal. They entered the empress' tomb where she used her dowsing to track down the spell circle, which was right next to the two caskets. The sage gazed at those caskets. "My great great grandmother... she was the first Gerudo to come to this world, a sage before me."

"I didn't know that," Cleo said thoughtfully.

"I am ready for the task at hand."

"Okay." Cleo summoned the skyward strike and thrusted it down onto the floor to summon the circle, then played the Song of the Heroes and they were all surrounded by a swirl of color, light and sound.

* * *

They appeared in a large, lush oasis in a vast desert. They had to do a bit of exploring to find the next sanctuary, occasionally coming across strange, ancient gold statues laying dormant and overgrown with vines and flowers. Cleo recognized them as automatons that were long dead. Link appeared before her again to teach her the mortal draw and tell her about a gigantic stone statue not too far away. They came to it and saw a doorway in its crossed legs and they entered the Sanctuary of Nature.

Though they were inside, the place was just as green as outside. There were trees and vines growing everywhere and they passed large pools filled with water lillies. There were deku babas and scrubs, skulltulas, and aquatic monsters in the water. The plants were perfect for climbing with the clawshots and some entangled vines needed to be shot loose with a sling shot. There were single seat wooden lifts for the sage to use in order to follow Cleo that functioned using a propeller activated by the boomerang. There were two hidden switches found in both the very bottom and top of the temple. Cleo dived down in the deep pool and down a long tunnel to move a bolder out of the way to pull the first switch. The second one was on the domed ceiling just out of reach, and hanging on it with the clawshot was not enough, she had to activate her iron boots to be heavier so the switch would move. Each switch pulled, revealed two chests, each containing one half of an item. Combining the two halves created the Beetle. Now she could use it to reach places that arrows or the boomerang couldn't reach and she sent it into a long, narrow, elaborate pathway in the high walls and it came out the other side carrying a red ball.

Cleo examined it, it was smooth, hard and shiny, like a round gem. "I wonder what this is for?"

"I'm just as clueless as you are," admitted Kaepora.

"I think I know what this is for," said the sage. "My mama told me stories of the automaton guardians powered by red cores. We'll have to go back outside."

They went back to the oasis and picked one of the automatons that looked the least dilapidated. A few seconds after the core was inserted in the big hole in its chest, the hole closed up by a cage door and it sprung to life. As though it recognized her, it bowed to the sage, evidently awaiting command. It followed them back into the sanctuary like a faithful puppy. Cleo liked it instantly and decided to call it Kole. There had been square stone pillars blocking a certain path, but Kole was able to smash through them with its many arms. The new places had poison gasses and pools and Kole, unaffected by the poison was sent forward to eliminate the source of the gasses or carry them over the pools. Cleo soon faced a giant purple chu jelly to get the big key. She used it to unlock the last door and entered.

Kole walked ahead without the sage's command and stood before Cleo, waiting. "What's Kole doing?"

"It wishes to battle you," the sage explained. "It is the guardian that you must fight if you're to use the circle."

"I see..." Cleo looked hard at Kole, stepping forward and drawing her sword. "I'm ready Kole..." It drew out its huge swords, but before the battle could start, the room suddenly darkened and a deep purple fog appeared. "What the hell?!" It seemed to be alive and heading toward Cleo, she readied herself for whatever it threw at her, yet was completely unprepared for what came next. It grabbed her and sucked her inside, she screamed inhaling putrid gases, making her nauseous and dizzy.

_A flash of light, a black upside down triangle shaped hole opened up, swallowing everything. Within the hole is darkness... unstill, shifting, slithering. A huge eye formed, staring, cold... evil... staring into the soul..._

The strange dream ended when Cleo felt a metal hand grasp her arm and she was pulled out into the arms of Kole. She coughed and coughed as it laid her down and the sage came to help her up. "Kole..." she wheezed. "You saved me..." It then turned back to the dark fog, swords ready. "Wait no..." It fought the fog with all its might, but in the end, it was no match for the monster, and was soon dismantled. Cleo was back on her feet, a little unsteadily. "Okay... now you pissed me off!" She got ready again, fully this time. "I will... avenge Kole!"

**Subspace Smog:**  
**Poismid**

The fog was thick and the Master Sword was useless against gas. It sent forth mini plumes and she drove them away with one slash, then used the Celestial Lantern against Poismid itself. Cleo thought she saw something inside, a glowing pulsating orb. She tried a clawshot to grab it, but the fog somehow grabbed the chain and tried to pull her back in. She released it to avoid a repeat experience and switched to the Beetle. She sent it inside through the monster and it came out with the orb. All the gas dispersed and the orb was exposed. Cleo slashed at it until new gas formed and surrounded it again. It split into three parts which began to fly wildly, trying to hit her. She found the orb again with the lantern and sent the beetle to retrieve it, then finished it with the ending blow.

The orb had been pierced like a heart and the pulsating glow stopped. It burst into flames until it was just ashes. All the poisonous gas vanished leaving the room cleared. Cleo looked at the remains of Kole, feeling empty. She was almost glad she hadn't fought it, it wouldn't feel right to have to destroy it herself after making friends. She knew it was more than just a machine. "Kole... thanks..."


	30. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make exellent games for the rest of his days3) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Joseph, Emetaly, Pacha, Paulo, Prince Hassan, Abner, and Oi and Ollo.

* * *

Chapter 29

The sage bent down to touch the floor and the spell circle formed around them. "The next virtue you must embrace is justice." Cleo nodded and played the next part of the Ballad of Awakening: Then the circle became brighter as she felt the spirit of the sage flow into her. She pulled out the Master Sword, which was now giving off a stronger glow, and held it up.

* * *

_Spiritual potential and memory restoration output: 60%_

* * *

Cleo put away her sword. "It's hard for me to say this but... you have to stay here a little longer... I'm sorry."

The sage smiled. "My family can wait... They would understand. It is time I send you back." She approached Cleo and embraced her once again. "You're a brave girl, Cleo and I hope my little one will grow up to be as brave and strong as you are." She released her and then, with her magic, she sent Cleo and Kaepora up into the bright light.

* * *

A group of bokoblins had been scouting the forest and finally spotted the burnt orange tunic and pointed hat worn by the skull kid. He was sitting quietly on a branch above them, not aware of their presence. Trying not to make a sound, one of them nocked an arrow and took careful aim. In one release, their target was shot in the back and fell to the ground like a rag doll. Squealing in triumph, they raced to the fallen, unmoving imp and gave him a nudge to see if he was still alive. They turned him over... and a puppet stared back at their blank faces before its head popped off. By the time they realized they had fallen into a trap, they were already in the pitfall.

There were traps everywhere, leg snares, tile worms, automatic dart shooters in the butt. And none of the bokoblins were even close to the special hiding place. At the very edge of the woods, not too far from the sea, lies a stump with the carving of SK's old friends (Cleo and the others had been added). Underneath it, was an underground room full of mementos and connected to that was a sleeping chamber with a couple of bunks where the princess sat waiting.

She heard wooden clicks, whirls and rope tightening as the secret entrance opened. She stood up, conjuring fire in her hand just in case it was the enemy. "I'm back!" called the high-pitched voice of SK. He entered the room as Zelda put out the fire. He was carrying a wide bowl of fruit. "I don't know what you like so I grabbed all that I could find."

"Thank you SK."

He put the bowl down on the table. "I scouted the entire area for a way out of the forest. But the flood is still surrounding us, like we're on an island."

"That's because we _are_."

"But how can that be? What happened here?"

"We've been transported to Cleo's realm by a magic portal, the whole of the Sacred Grove is in the middle of the ocean."

SK's mouth hung open for a bit. "...the _whole_ grove? I didn't know portals could move lands!"

"I didn't either... Just imagine being able to move an entire province with a spell circle big enough."

Before SK could respond, there was a ringing sound coming from a hanging bell. "The eavesdropper's triggered." He went over to a wall pipe and put his finger to his lips before opening the lid.

"This is getting insane," a bokoblin's voice said, coming out of the pipe. "Our men are disappearing left and right and we still haven't found the princess or the skull kid!"

"I know, and the boss is getting more and more angry by the day. We're practically on a suicide mission."

There was a pause. "Since no one else seems to be around, would you mind telling me why you brought up that rumor about Oi and Ollo's strange behavior, saying they weren't always bokoblins?"

Another pause. "Yeah, not only that, but they weren't always two people either. They were once one person and not a bokoblin at all. Well anyway the reason I brought it up in the first place was because I'm starting to believe the rumors are true."

"Really? How do you know?"

"Well you see, one of them was starting to... remember stuff... I don't know. But they were acting as though they've got amnesia and that it might be wearing off."

"Is that bad?"

"Well, if the boss was the one who changed them as the rumor said, he'll be pretty mad when he finds out about their behavior. We need to make sure these two stay in line..." Their voices faded away. They must've moved on in their patrol.

SK closed the lid. "Huh, I wonder who that could be."

Zelda sighed. "It doesn't matter SK. We have more important issues to concern us, like what Ghirahim's plan is and what he wanted with me. And the only way to find out is to go back in that castle."

"Are you going to do that disguise thing again?"

"Indeed."

"Let me come with you."

"No SK, you have to stay here. I know you want to protect me, but it's for the best that I go alone." SK made a little pouty face. She got up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've done so much for me already and I'm thankful for that..."

His pouty face disappeared. "...I have one question... That girl that went by after you... was that... who I think it is?..." In response, Zelda smiled.

* * *

After they reappeared in the tomb, Cleo called Joseph for another clue. This was his answer: "Travel to the desert where a city is carved into the red stone, there the key to the doorway hides away in the urn of treasures." Although unsure what the latter info meant, Cleo knew where the former would lead: Jordan.

As they soared over the desert, Cleo looked down at Kaepora. "Kae, I have a question... about the prophecy."

"Hoo? What's that?"

"What is the darkness?"

"...I wish I knew. All I know is that it's an ancient evil that will cause the calamity very soon unless we fulfill our quest. Once before, it tried to bring ruin and despair long ago. Remember what I said about the war between the two worlds? It was caused by that evil, how and why is still yet to be known. One thing is clear is that after the eight sages sealed away the portals between the two worlds, the darkness disappeared. Because it happened long before I myself was born, I still don't know much about it. I've never even heard the name of this evil... That thing you fought just now... I can tell it came from that darkness to interfere." Cleo was silent for a moment. "I'm surprised you're now suddenly curious on the subject. You've always been obsessed with Ghirahim instead. I'm just saying!" He added when she gave him an annoyed look. "What I mean to say is, I'm only wondering why you're asking now."

"...I don't know." That, of course, was a total lie. Cleo knew full well why she asked, she was just not sure why she was neglecting to tell Kaepora about what happened after Poismid's appearance. "Let's just continue on our journey." They came to a juniper forest on a rocky hill. "Actually, I think we should stop here."

"Are you sure?" After Cleo nodded in response, Kaepora touched down. "I take it you're sensing the presence of another sage."

Cleo didn't answer. She started trudging across the highlands, taking careful steps on steep areas. She spotted a road not too far in the distance and there was a car there, a pretty fancy one, as Kaepora could see. Before they could venture forth however, there was the sound of a digital chime that Cleo did _not_ want to hear right now. _...Oh no!_ she thought despairingly. She turned toward the source of that sound.

Sure enough, there was Ghirahim, sitting on a boulder with his chin resting on his knee. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I came here in search of a prince and lo! I find a peasant! It is, without a doubt, that Alo has failed me miserably."

"Well, I _do_ have Alo to thank!" she retorted. "Thanks to him, I now know that you're collaborating with something more sinister!"

"Still your tongue!" Ghirahim snapped. He stood up. "I couldn't care less what you think you know. You haven't a clue why you are part of the prophecy at all. You're just playing a blind man's bluff, trying to reach a goal you cannot see. What a joke!"

"What... do you mean by that?"

"Oh, Cleo Cleo..." He slowly shook his head. And throughout the next whole speech, he popped in and out of random places. "If only you knew the sad truth... You've always blamed me for your mother's death, but if there's anyone you should _really_ blame, it's the gods. They chose you. You, a simple child to do their errands like a loyal bitch chasing her tail for their amusement. To them, you're nothing but a tool, they don't even care about the consequences your given position will bring, they expect you to just accept it. It's tragic, really." He came from behind a juniper, looking at her hungrily.

Cleo looked horribly stunned by this. "Cleo, don't listen to him," Kaepora warned in a whisper. "He's trying to get to you again."

"Think about it Cleo... if they hadn't chosen you, you'd still have a mother right now."

Cleo clapped her hands to her ears. "Shut up, _SHUT UP!_" she yelled in anguish.

"Do not worry... I can see you're still in pain, I'll end it for you." Ghirahim vanished again. Cleo knew what was about to happen. She ducked just in time before he swung his rapier from behind. There was a screech of surprise as Kaepora took off, also narrowly avoiding the blade. Cleo grabbed a handful of sand and flung it at Ghirahim's face, blinding him, then quickly rolled out of sight into the thick shrubbery. He snarled in disgust as he rubbed his eyes. "WHERE ARE YOU, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Cleo put on the fox mask, then waited a second or two before coming back out. His vision recovered and he saw the fox trotting away. He teleported again and appeared in front of her. "Don't think you can _out fox_ me, I know it's you in there! You have the same aura." He grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. He saw Kaepora about to dive bomb him. "Away with you buzzard!" With a snap, a mighty dust devil engulfed the owl and swept him away. With another snap, he summoned a dagger. "Let's see you scurry out of _this!_" He raised his blade...


End file.
